Irish women's close amateur championship

Apologies from the Editor for being unable to give you this report until I got back to Aberdeen from Southerness where the mobile telephone signal was too weak to get on the Internet.

Victoria Bradshaw topples champion

Leona Maguire in second round

Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell), pictured right, the reigning champion and winner in recent weeks of the French Under-21 and Scottish women’s open titles, was sensationally beaten in the second round of the match-play stages of the Lancome Irish close women’s championship at Fota Island Golf Resort near Cork today.
Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor), herself only 19, claimed the most notable “scalp”of her golfing career, beating the 14-year-old from Cavan with a birdie at the 20th in a classic match-play tie.
But the other half of the talented twins, leading qualifier Lisa Maguire, is through to the last eight in which she will play Catherine Tucker (Limerick).
Lisa beat past champion Karen Delaney (Carlow) 5 and 4 while Catherine had a tighter affair against Patrict Delaney (Birr) but held her nerve to win by one hole.
Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) was one down after nine holes against youngster Sarah Helly from Enniscrone but capped a very good comeback by birdieing the 15th and won on the next green.
Niamh will now play Caoimhe Quinn (Dungannon) who beat local favourite Gillian O'Leary at the 19th. Gillian, one up playing 18, ran into a spot of bother and lost the hole and also the match at the 19th.
Karen O'Neill (Douglas) knocked out 2004 champion Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) with an impressive 4 and 3 win.
No 3 seed Mary Dowling (New Ross) survived a scare after being two up with three to play against Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint), Mary lost the 16th and 17th but got a fine up and down to get a winning par at the 18th.
Long-hitter Laura McCarthy defeated Sue Phillips to earn herself a crack at the giant-killing Victoria Bradshaw.

Monday's Championship results:

FIRST ROUND
Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) bt Mary Crowley (Castletroy) 9 and 7.
Karen Delaney (Carlow) bt Vicki Power (Corrstown) 3 and 1.
Patrice Delaney (Birr) bt Anne McCormack (Roscommon) 4 and 3.
Catherine Tucker(Limerick) bt Catherine Kavanagh (Mitchelstown) 7 and 6.
Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) bt Lynda Maher (Charleville) 4 and 3.
Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) bt Pat Doran (Donabate) 5 and 3.
Caoimhe Quinn (Dungannon) bt Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion) 2 holes.
Gillian O'Leary (Cork) btCarla Reynolds (Seapoint) 4 and 3.

Mary Dowling (New Ross) bt Eileen MacMullen (Donegal) 6 and 5.
Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint) bt Orla Barry (Galway) 4 and 2.
Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) bt Claire Keating (Charleville) 5 and 3.
Karen O'Neill (Douglas) bt Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) 2 and 1.
Laura McCarthy (Muskerry) bt Helen Jones (Strabane) 3 and 2.
Sue Phillips (Woodbrook) bt Maria Dunne (Skerries) 2 holes.
Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) bt Linda Toomey (Limerick) 4 and 2.
Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) bt Emma Gilmore (Mountbellew) 8 and 7.
SECOND ROUND
Lisa Maguire bt Karen Delaney 5 and 4.
Tucker bt Patrice Delaney 1 hole.
Kitching bt Helly 3 and 2.
Quinn bt O'Leary at 19th.
Dowling bt Gribben 1 hole.
O'Neill bt Smith 4 and 3.
McCarthy bt Phillips 6 and 4.
Bradshaw bt Leona Maguire at 20th
TUESDAY’S QUARTER-FINALS
09:00 Lisa Maguire v Catherine Tucker.
09:09 Niamh Kitching v Caoimhe Quinn.
09:18 Mary Dowling v Karen O'Neill.
09:27 Laura McCarthy v Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor)
ITA WALLACE TROPHY PLATE
FIRST ROUND
Shauna O'Brien (Clonmel) bt Noreen Granard (Portarlington) 7 and 6.
Ailish Thompson (Douglas) bt Carmel Kearney (Mallow) 1 hole.
Olivia Conroy (Co. Longford) bt Amanda Welch (Cork) at 19th.
Doireann Carney (Galway) bt Mary Geaney (Killarney) 4 and 3.
Mary Kavanagh (New Ross) bt Mary Mackey (Mallow) 3 and 2.
Julie Coyne (Youghal) bt Ruth Maguire (Corrstown) 9 and 8.
Rhona Brennan (Bandon) bt Marian Finn (Thurles) 1 hole.
Violet McBride (Belvoir Park) bt Edel Coyne (Youghal) 6 and 5.
SECOND ROUND
Thompson bt O'Brien 1 hole.
Carney bt Conroy 4 and 3.
Coyne bt Kavanagh 3 and 1.
McBride bt Brennan 7 and 5.