Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort Women's Festival

Irish eyes are still smiling in Spain,

Martina, Claire win better-ball

Ireland's Martina Gillen made it three wins out of three in the first
week of the inaugural Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Golf Festival
at the five-star resort in south-east Spain today.
The tall Dubliner warmed up for her new Ladies European Tour campaign
by winning the 36-hole Murcia Ladies Open pro title on Monday and
Tuesday, following that up with victory in the Festival Stableford on
Thursday.
Then, in her last event before flying home to Ireland, Martina teamed
up with compatriot Claire Coughlan from Cork to win the professonal
better-ball competition with a two-under-par round of 70 over the tough
Dave Thomas-designed course.
Under sunny skies, Martina and Claire birdied the long fourth, the
short 13th and the par-4 13th. They had just one bogey, at the 17th.
Martina's three victories earned her a total of 1,100 Euros.
They had a shot to spare from two rookie pros, Natasha Morgan from
South Wales and Scotland´s Jenna Wilson from Strathaven, last year's
Scottish women's amateur champion.
Natasha and Jenna birdied the long fourth, the 10th and the long 18th.
They bogeyed the short fifth and 12th in returning a better ball of one
under par 71.
Natasha, who has spent the last four years as a golf scholarship
student at Lyn University, Florida, was runner-up in all three events
of the Festival´s first week.
The Festival continues with three more competitions next week.
"We will definitely be coming back to the Hacienda del Alamo Women's
Winter Festival next year," said Martina Gillen, a former Curtis Cup
player and past Irish champion.
"The superb practice facilities have given me a chance to work out some
things and I loved the combinaton of this and some low-key competition
to start putting an edge on your game."
"Yes, I´ll be back here again," said Claire Coughlan. "There have been
quite a lot of Irish lady amateurs over for the Festival and I am
planning to make up my own little Irish party for the trip next year."

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO WOMEN´S WINTER FESTIVAL
Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort, Murcia, Spain.
Professional better ball
Leading scores (Par 72)
70 Martina Gillen (Ire) & Claire Coughlan (Ire).
71 Natasha Morgan (Wal) & Jenna Wilson (Sco).
75 Lien Willems (Bel) & Maria Martin (Spa).
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