Munster and Ulster triumph in Holywood

Munster U14’s Ruben Rivas McHugh celebrates with a backflip with the winning Munster U16 team at the U14 & U16 Boys' Interprovincials at Holywood Golf Club. Picture: Ben Brady/Inpho

Munster are the 2026 U16 Boys’ Interprovincial Matches Champions whilst it was Ulster who went back-to-back in the U14 Boys’ event on home soil at Holywood Golf Club.

Munster’s U16 team began their tournament with a hard fought 3-2 success over Leinster on Thursday, before a dominant 4.5-0.5 win against Connacht that afternoon set up Friday's winner takes all clash with Ulster.

The home favourites led the standings by 0.5 Points heading into today’s decider, but those in red came out of the traps early. First, the pair of Nazar Buhera (Kinsale) & Odhran Scully Jnr (Clonakilty) took the solitary foursomes point in the top match, before Tom Browne doubled their advantage in Match 2. Match 3 saw Fionn McCormick (Moyola Park) put Ulster on the scoreboard whilst an emphatic 5&4 win for Jack Conroy (Belvoir Park) levelled the affair. Everything came down to the penultimate singles match, and it was Oscar O’Shea (Kanturk) who delivered the all-important point for Munster with a 2&1 success over Rory Brown (Galgorm Castle).

The final standings saw Munster 1st and Ulster 2nd, with Leinster taking 3rd after a closing 4-1 win against Connacht.

Meanwhile, in the U14 Boys’ Interprovincial Championship, drama was guaranteed as going into Round 3 the full quartet of teams had the opportunity to win silverware after each recording a win on the opening day.

Incredibly the entire championship hinged on the final hole of the final singles match, with three provinces in contention. Conor Mannion (Galway Bay) and Harry O’Neill (Douglas) arrived at the 18th all square, knowing a win on the last would secure glory for their province, whilst Ulster prayed for a halved match.

A tough Par 3 to finish in Holywood saw both players miss the green and hence were left with challenging up and downs. Both youngsters hit their chips to four feet and sank their putts, earning a half point for Connacht and Munster, and in doing so delivering the U14 Boys' Interprovincials championship to Ulster, at the home of Rory McIlroy.

The standings after that tense finish saw Ulster in 1st, Connacht 2nd, Munster 3rd and Leinster 4th.

Winner of the 2026 AIG Irish Women's Amateur Close Championship Katie Poots with her sister Erin, her father John and mother Alison at Enniscrone. Picture: Tom Maher/Inpho

Elsewhere, Knock golfer Katie Poots said it was special to have family by her side as she was crowned AIG Irish Women’s Amateur Close Champion.

The 21-year-old had her sister Erin as her caddie in the decider against Hannah Lee McNamara (Royal Portrush), while her mother and father were also in Enniscrone to celebrate the win.

Local golfer, Sophie Dodd won the O-18 Women’s Plate while Sophie Park (Grange) claimed the Girls’ crown.

Meanwhile, Leona Maguire, Lauren Walsh, and Anna Foster all missed the cut at the AIG Women's Open. Haeran Ryu leads at Royal Birkdale as she bids for her third major in a row.