Cobh Golf Club: International flavour to the AST Juvenile Trophy

Brilliant sunshine and brilliant scoring were the order of the day, when the region’s top young players competed in the third annual AST Juvenile Trophy that was staged at Cobh Golf Club on Monday 24th August. A unique international flavour was added to this year’s event with the entry of a team from the prestigious Buchholz-Nordheide Golf Club in Hamburg. Top honours went to the Mahon Golf Club team of Johnny Murphy, John Foley, James Daly, Colum Kennedy and Cathal Crowley with a fine winning stableford score of 153. Mahon will now hold the AST Perpetual Trophy for the year while their players each received a replica of the Cup and golf vouchers. Last year’s winners, Fota Island, took second spot this time around with a very respectable 150.

Johnny Murphy from Mahon took the individual honours with a fine score of 42 points and he will soon be on his way to an all expense paid golfing weekend for two at the luxurious Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links in Dublin, compliments of AST Physiotherapy. Cobh Golf Club’s Zack Devlin employed his local knowledge to return an impressive best gross score of 71.

The tournament proper was followed by a prize ceremony and BBQ that proved to be a great hit with all the competitors last time around. Winner of the closest to the pin at Cobh’s spectacular island green, 10th hole was Peter Milner from Cobh , while Cork Golf Club’s Daniel Burke belted the longest drive on the 11th hole.

The tournament is the brainchild of Adrian and Susanne Tanzer, who moved from Germany to Cobh some 15 years ago and established the very successful AST Physiotherapy Clinic in Ballynoe/Cobh. Adrian & Susanne are delighted with the new international aspect of the event. “When we started the AST Juvenile Trophy, it was always our intention to invite teams from around Europe. Germany is a start, but we hope that other countries will soon follow.”

“Denis Ryan was so good to travel all the way to Dublin to collect the German team, who were then put up by Terence and Karen Murphy, John and Finoula Reilly, and Wolf and Theresa Delius. Our German friends couldn’t get over the warm welcome they received from our Club Officers, Pat Feen, Nigel Britton, Margo Hurley and, indeed, all the Cobh members,” Adrian noted. “Steve McCormack and Ger O’Neill had the course in tip top shape and Jim Plumber laid on a great BBQ. Special thanks also has to go to our juvenile convenor, Tony O’Shea , who with Pat O’Toole, Tim McCormack and David O’Sullivan made sure that everything went smoothly on the day. Cobh Golf Club did itself proud and I know that many strong friendships were forged over the course of the week that will continue long into the future.”