​Vincent Conlon led home a field of 269 and edged out Ross Kehoe on countback to be the leading qualifier in the Gold Medal competition.
The top 64 players qualified for the matchplay stages of the competition with the cut falling at 74/37.5/21.
Conlon, playing off 11, produced a superb round of 65 nett that included two birdies, 10 pars and, most importantly, no double bogeys as he went out in 39 gross and came home in 37 gross.  
He parred the opening three holes before bogeying the index one fourth and then parred the fifth,  sixth and eighth as he turned in 33 nett. He then birdied the 10th and 12th holes before reeling off four more pars at the 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th to complete the back nine in 32 nett.
Kehoe, who was off 16, got the perfect start with a birdie at the first followed by two pars. He then parred the fifth and sixth but dropped a shot when he double-bogeyed the index three seventh. A par at the eighth and a bogey at the ninth saw him complete the front nine in 40 gross which was 32 nett.
He recorded two more pars at the 10th and 12th before double-bogeying the par three 13th and then recorded pars at the 16th and 18th for a gross score of 41which was 33 nett.
That left him tied with Conlon on 65 nette but his back nine nett score was one shot more and so he had to settle for second place as Conlon took the honour of being leading qualifier.
Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27 – Gold Medal Qualifier – Vincent Conlon (11) 65/31.5, Ross Kehoe (16) 65/33.

The Irish Mixed Foursomes team has a great first round win over Laytown & Bettystown on Sunday. There were wins in Dundalk for Judy McDonagh & Brian Og Renaghan and Maeve Ahern & Neal MacKell and after Bernie McGuinness & Conall Murdock were beaten on the 17th it was left to Brid Rocks & Mark Gorham to secure the place in the next round by winning on the 18th.
The Junior Cup team fell at the first hurdle in the defence of their Leinster North title on Saturday going down 3-2 to Sutton in the first round. Ciaran Traynor and Peter Durnin won their matches in Dundalk but there no joy in Dublin as Ken Norton, John Sharkey and Clem Walshe were edged out.
The JB Carr team were also narrowly beaten in the Louth semi-final against Seapoint on Saturday where all five matches were played over the Termonfeckian links. Although Gerry Murray & John McLaughlin and Conor Byrne and Eamonn McEneaney were beaten, wins for Jim Dwyer & Gerry McDermott and Dennis Cunningham & Barry Grennan left the match delicately poised at 2-2. All eyes swung to the match involving Mickey Coburn & Tommy Renaghan, who had come from three down to finish all square after 18, but unfortunately they were beaten on the first tie hole.   

The Wednesday Open sponsored by McKenna Man was won by Aaron Hoey (14) with 42pts. His round saw him record six pars on the opening nine, five of which were three-pointers, while on the back nine he had a four-point birdie at the 15th, a three-point par at the 17th and two two-point pars at the 13th and 14th.
Divisional winners were Derek Cahill (8), Ross Kehoe (15) and Patrick Mulroy (37) while Paul Murphy recorded the best gross with 36pts.
Wednesday, 23 April - McKenna Man Open Singles Stableford – Overall: Aaron Hoey (14) 42pts. Division 1: Derek Cahill (8) 40pts. Division 2: Ross Kehoe (15) 38pts. Division 3: Patrick Mulroy (37) 38pts. Gross Recognition Paul Murphy 36pts.

Dundalk Golf Club are to mark the 30th anniversary of Padraig Harrington winning the Dundalk Scratch Cup by renaming the 18th hole after the three-time major winner and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee.

The announcement was made this evening at a reception to mark the 120th anniversary of Dundalk Golf Club and the launch of the 2025 Scratch Cup. It was also announced that Golf Ireland has awarded Dundalk the All-Ireland Mixed Fourball and Mixed Foursomes finals which will be held in September while the PGA are to stage the final round of the Callaway Chrome Tour PGA Open Series in Dundalk the same month.

Among those in attendance at the reception were Michael Evans, President, Golf Ireland; Harry McAlinden, Chair, Leinster Golf; Conor Dillon, Manager, The PGA in Ireland; and Cllr Sean Kelly, Cathaoirleach, Dundalk Municipal District; along with past captains, lady captains, presidents and lady presidents of Dundalk Golf Club.  

Captain Gerry McDermott said that renaming the hole was a fitting way to mark Harrington’s achievements in the game.

“It is a source of great pride to everybody in our club that Padraig Harrington is a former winner of our Senior Scratch Cup. Those who were there in 1995 still talk of how he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on the 18th hole in the final round.

“But few remember how he bogeyed the 18th in 1990 to lose the Irish Youths Championship by one shot and don’t realise the lesson he learned that day would eventually help him to win his first Open title at Carnoustie in 2007.”

Harrington’s Dundalk story will be put on display in the Clubhouse  and on the club’s website whilst a sign will be erected on the 18th tee box to mark its change of name from Ceann Scribe or “Journey’s End” to “Harrington’s Challenge”. 

Lady Captain Sally McDonnell said: “Padraig Harrington has been a wonderful inspiration to everybody in Irish golf so it is nice to mark the special association he has with Dundalk Golf Club. Hopefully the story behind “Harrington’s Challenge” will inspire future generations.”

​In a message, which was read out at the launch, Padraig Harrington said he was honoured that the 18th hole has been named after him. He said: “I am delighted to be associated with the renaming of the 18th hole at Dundalk Golf Club, which was the setting for a milestone in my golfing career, one that was pivotable in helping shape my mindset by encouraging me to start working with a sports psychologist, Aidan Moran. The 18th hole showed me very distinctly the highs and lows of golf, how shots can be assessed internally, but judged completely differently by the outside world.”

“2025 is going to be a busy year for Dundalk Club,” said Manager Leslie Walker. “The staging of the Golf Ireland finals and the PGA event in September is recognition of the standard of our course and our facilities and we will be doing our very best to make those events, and the Scratch Cup, memorable occasions for everybody involved.”

3 May - Mixed Fourball vs Greenore

5 May - Minor Foursomes v Bellewstown

10 May - Intermediate Foursomes v Laytown & Bettystown

Best of luck to all involved!

Ciaran Flanagan (17) shot 40pts on the Easter Bank Holiday Monday to win the Open Singles Stableford. His round included a four point birdie at the sixth and six three point pars. Division honours went to Ciaran Traynor (5), Martin Cairns (18) and Ben O’Connor (21) while Ben Cahill’s 35pts was the best gross score of the day.
Monday, 21 April - Open Singles Stableford – Overall: Ciaran Flanagan (17) 40pts. Division 1: Ciaran Traynor (5) 38pts. Division 2 : Martin Cairns (18) 38pts. Division 3: Ben O'Connor (21) 38pts. Gross Recognition: Ben Cahill 35pts.

Barry Grennan led home the qualifiers in the Carolan Cup over the Easter weekend which was the first Golfer of the Year competition of the season.
Playing off 16, Grennan went out in 44 gross which was a nett 36 as pars at the third, fifth and seventh were balanced by dropped shots at the fourth, sixth and ninth.
But there were no mistakes down the back nine as he parred the 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 17th and 18th to come home in 39 gross for a nett 31.
That left him on 67 nett which was one ahead of Ned Lawrence (18) who shot a 68 nett and had to settle for winning Division 3 ahead of Pat Davis (21). Shaun Callan (12) won Division1  on countback from Jack McCaughey (11) after both shot 70 nett while Division 2 saw Matthew McCaughey (13) win by one shot from Laurence O’Hanlon (16).
Ben Cahill is very much the in-form player in the club at present and he claimed another gross prize thanks to a super round of 67 which featured seven birdies. He went out in 36 with birdies at the seventh and ninth being cancelled out by bogeys at the third and eighth.  However, he was magnificent down the home straight where a birdie at the 10th was followed by four successive birdies from the 15th to the 18th as he came home in 31.
Greenan’s reward for leading home the qualifiers is a first round tie against Larence O’Hanlon while Lawrence will start his campaign against Peter McCaughey and Cahill will take on Conor Curran. The cut for matchplay stages of the Carolan Cup was 71/35.
Saturday, 19 April and Sunday, 20 April - Carolan Cup Qualifier Singles Stroke - GOY 1 -  Overall: Barry Grennan (16) 67. Gross: Ben Cahill 67. Division 1: Shaun Callan (12) 70 70/32.0. Jack McCaughey (11) 70/32.5. Division 2: Matthew McCaughey (13) 69, Laurence O'Hanlon (16) 70. Division 3: Edward Lawrence (18) 68. Patrick Davis (21) 69.
Carolan Cup Matchplay 2025 – First Round Draw – Ben Cahill v Conor Curran, Stephen English v Paul Murphy, Derek Cahill v Neal Mackell, Jack McCaughey v Shaun Callan, Laurence O’Hanlon v Barry Grennan, Brian Crombie v Niall Rafferty, Edward Lawrence v Peter McCaughey, Matthew McCaughey v Pat Davis. First Round to be completed by June 9. White Tees/Handicap on the Day.

The inter-club season began for the men last weekend and saw victories for the Pierce Purcell and Jimmy Bruen teams. On Good Friday the Pierce Purcell team mastered the dreadful weather conditions to beat Silloge Park by 2.5 to 1.5 while on Easter Sunday the Jimmy Bruen team beat Greenore 3-1.
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This weekend the JB Carr team face Seapoint at 3.15pm on Saturday with all five matches being played away from home while the Junior Cup begin the defence of their Leinster North title at 3pm with a first round match against Sutton. On Sunday, the Mixed Foursomes team meet Laytown & Bettystown at 3pm.

The Ladies began their inter-club season on Palm Sunday with  2.5 to 2.5 draw against Castle in the home leg of Mary McKenna Diamond Trophy. They now travel to Dublin on Thursday for the second leg. 

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 Peter Durnin, playing off four, had three birdies at the sixth, ninth and 14th, on his way to 37pts and victory in last Wednesday’s Open sponsored by McKenna Man.
Wednesday, 16 April - McKenna Man Open Singles Stableford – Overall: Peter Durnin (4) 37pts.