Jack Murphy got his 2025 off in good fashion last week with a top ten performance in his first event of the new year.
Murphy closed the 54 hole Southwestern Invitational in California with an impressive four under par 67, which included five birdies after an early bogey.
After an opening 74, Murphy scored his first under par round of the year with a 70 in the second round. He bettered that again on Wednesday with his 67.
Jack’s head coach Alan Murray was delighted with the performance.
“Jack played sensational and to be so competitive in a field this strong is something that should give him huge confidence and self-belief,” Murray said.
“His four-under round today was one of the most impressive rounds I have seen from a college player. The guys battled hard again today and it was a step forward for us.”
Murphy had a great start to 2024 when he won the Lee Valley Scratch Cup but then focused his attention on his leaving cert studies.
In August he headed off to the west coast to Seattle to take up a scholarship with the University of Washington.
The team finished in 10th place and will be hoping to build on that in the remainder of the spring series events.
Murphy is in his first season with the University of Washington.
The Blackrock man took up a scholarship with the Division One college after completing his leaving cert in Rochestown College last year.
Murphy is part of an eight-man roster which also includes Dublin’s Jake Foley who also joined as a freshman.
James Sugrue in action in Mallow Golf Club during the Mallow Scratch Cup. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Murphy is one of five new joiners to the roster and should have plenty of playing opportunities over the coming weeks.
Washington are back in action this week in Hawaii at the Amer Ari.
After that there may be an opportunity to play in a college showcase as part of the Genesis Invitational at Pacific Palisades.
Morgan Cain will be back in action next week for Lincoln University after a good finish to the fall series of events.
Cain finished in 6th place at the Citrus Intercollegiate in Florida. It was his first top ten of the season.
He’ll be hoping to continue that form in Jacksonville they start their spring season. Cain transferred from Tuscullum in August at the tart of his second year in the US.
James Sugrue finished the Marbella Winter Series with an 11th place finish at Parador Malaga Golf.
Sugrue closed with a 69 to jump a few spots on the leaderboard and his attention now turns to the Clutch Tour.
The Mallow golfer is headed for Oman next for the opening series of the tour.
John Murphy who was also in Spain for the winter series will head for the Alps Tour as he too hopes for a good start to his season.
Sara Byrne is another golfer getting her season underway this week.
She is in Morocco for the Hassan II Golf Trophy. Byrne has two tour cards for 2025, she had a full tour card for the Ladies European Tour as well as full playing rights on the Epsom Tour, the secondary tour in the US.
With the Epson Tour starting at the end of February, Sara has decided to start her season in Morocco, and she is currently a reserve for the $5m Aramco Series event in Riyadh the following week.
Byrne had a hugely successful 2024 which saw he play in both amateur and professional events. From winning in the US, representing Ireland and winning the Curtis Cup as an amateur, she went on to play several events as a professional.
She made final qualifying at the LPGA Q school, earning her Epsom tour card, and she won at tour card at the LET qualifying.
Lee Valley have announced that their Scratch Cup will move from it’s traditional date in April.
The event is now scheduled for the first weekend in October due to work being carried out on the course. Two weeks ago work started on replacing the second green in Lee Valley.
While members will play to a temporary green while the work is being carried out, it was decided that the scratch cup should be deferred.
As it stands, the Muskerry Scratch Cup is the first scratch cup on the schedule, and that’s due to take place on 11th May.
Douglas is scheduled for a week later, with Kinsale hosting their scratch cup on the 21st June.
The Munster Strokeplay will take place in it’s usual position in the calendar on the May Bank Holiday weekend.
