Lancome Irish women's closed championship

Maguire twins share lead at end of

first qualifying round at Fota Island

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
The phenomenal 14-year-old Maguire twins from the Slieve Russell club look set to continue their dominance of the Irish ladies' golf following opening rounds of level par 74 in the first qualifying round of the Lancome Irish Women’s Close Championship at Fota Island Golf Resort, eight miles east of Cork.
Lisa (pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency) and twin sister Leona played in the best of the day’s conditions which had a bright but blustery start, before turning to high winds and heavy showers in the afternoon, making playing conditions extremely challenging for the later-starting competitors.
Defending champion Leona got off to a superb start by chipping in for an eagle 3 at the par-5 fourth hole. A string of solid pars followed until the 16th and 18th holes, where errant tee shots ledd to two bogeys and her having to settle for a level par 74.
Sister Lisa, last year’s leading qualifier, posted the same score, but will be disappointed after being three under par through nine holes.
Closest challenger is Mary Dowling (New Ross), who carded a score of 76 which included three birdies in the opening four holes. Bogeys on the final two holes cost her a share of the lead.
A shot further back, after rounds of 77, are current internationals Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) and Gillian O’Leary (Cork) as well as girls international Sarah Crowe (Tipperary).
Sarah started brightly with a birdie on the opening hole and battled hard in the increasingly difficult conditions to cover the back nine in level par.
Gillian finished with five consecutive pars to make a solid start to her championship campaign, while Niamh will also be content with her opening round which included four birdies.
The second and final round of qualifying takes place on Sunday, after which the top 32 players will progress to the match-play stages of the championship, commencing on Monday.
The championship ends with an 18-hole final on Wednesday morning.
FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND

Par 74. CSS 77

74 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell), Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell)
76 Mary Dowling (New Ross)
77 Sarah Crowe (Tipperary), Niamh Kitching (Claremorris), Gillian O'Leary (Cork)
79 Patrice Delaney (Birr)
80 Mary Sheehy (Tralee)
81 Pat Doran (Donabate)
82 Laura McCarthy (Muskerry), Karen O'Neill (Douglas), Catherine Tucker (Limerick), Orla Barry (Galway)
83 Deirdre Smith (Co Louth), Sue Phillips (Woodbrook)
84 Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor), Claire Keating (Charleville), Lillian Harrington (East Cork)
85 Mary Crowley (Castletroy), Maria Dunne (Skerries), Marie Carr (Athenry), Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire), Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint)
86 Helen Jones (Strabane), Lynda Maher (Charleville), Suzanne Corcoran (Portumna), Linda Toomey (Limerick)
87 Deirdre Cahalan (Nenagh), Karen Delaney (Carlow), Sinead Keane (The Curragh), Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion), Mary Scully (Tralee)
PROJECTED CUT-OFF POINT FOR 32 MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS
88 Adrienne Crowley (Woodbrook), Catherine Kavanagh (Mitchelstown), Caoimhe Quinn (Dungannon)
89 Michele Quinn (Dundalk), Eileen MacMullen (Donegal), Vicki Power (Corrstown), Carla Reynolds (Seapoint), Aoife Lowry (Tipperary)
90 Mary Geaney (Killarney), Emma Gilmore (Mountbellew), Anne McCormack (Roscommon), Sarah Helly (Enniscrone), Muiriosa Connolly (Lahinch), Anne O’Rahilly (Monkstown)
91 Theresa Delahunty (Rathdowney), Amanda Welch (Cork), Carmel Kearney (Mallow), Yvonne Day Ryan (Tipperary), Shauna O’Brien (Clonmel)
92 Julie Coyne (Youghal), Mary Kavanagh (New Ross), Rhona Brennan (Bandon), Olivia Conroy (Co Longford)
94 Marian Finn (Thurles), Noreen Granard (Portarlington), Ruth Maguire (Corrstown), Siobhan O'Herlihy (Muskerry)
95 Val Shannon (Douglas), Mary Mackey (Mallow), Violet McBride (Belvoir Park)
96 Ailish Thompson (Douglas), Doireann Carney (Galway), Edel Coyne (Youghal), Maura Breathnach (Monkstown)
97 Rose Nagle (Fota Island)
98 Olivia O'Meara (Mitchelstown)
99 Susan Curtin (Mallow), Maria Cahill (Abbeyleix)
101 Marie O'Sullivan (Mallow)
103 Kathleen O'Keeffe (Muskerry)
105 Patricia McAllister (Laytown/Bettystown)
106 Mary Lowney (Dunmore)
NR Grainne O'Connor (Skerries)