Strong finish by Danielle McVeigh

wins her the Welsh open title

Northern Ireland challenger Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down) finished strongly the previous Sunday to take fifth place in the Helen Holm Scottish women’s open amateur stroke-play golf championship at Troon.
Today, Danielle’s powerful finish carried her through to victory in the Welsh women’s open amateur stroke-play championship in tough conditions at the so-demanding par-75 (for women) Royal Porthcawl links in South Wales.
A former world universities women’s champion in Thailand, Danielle, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, also gained experience on the US college circuit for a couple of years, so her two latest performances will put her strongly in the running for a place in the nine-man GB&I team for the Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe at Hamburg in July.
McVeigh started the final round in fourth place, two shots behind the three joint leaders, Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle), Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) and Tara Davies (Holyhead).
The 6ft+ Ulster player overtook them with a closing round of two-under-par 73 for two-under-par total of 223. Her strength enabled her to get home in two at most of the long holes and she was able to get an eagle 3 at the long ninth and birdies at the long fifth, the long 15th and the long 16th. Just to show her dexterity, she also had a birdie 2 at the short 16th. Her only blemish on the final day was a bogey at the last hole.
But, by that time, McVeigh had the tournament won, finishing up a shot ahead of Rachel Jennings who closed with a 76 – birdieing the three long finishing holes, the 15th, 16th, and 17th, for a 76 and 224.
Teenager Tara Davies, who also played well in the “Helen Holm,” sagged with three double bogeys to an 80 for 228 but managed to hold on to third place.
Kylie Walker had a final round she will want to forget in a hurry. An 84 for 232 saw her drop down to a tie for sixth place. The Buchanan Castle player double bogeyed both the first and third but got two of the shots back with birdies at the short fourth and the long fifth before bogeying the ninth to turn in three-over-par 40.
Then can disaster with a capital “D” – a quadruple bogey 8 at the 10th. Kyle did birdie the long 15th but then lurched off track again with a double bogey 7 at the long 17th and a bogey at the 18th for 44 shots home.
Carly Booth (Comrie finished joint 12th with a closing 81 for 234.
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), runner-up in the “Helen Holm,” also struggled in the last round with an 81 for 236 and 17th place.
Laura Murray (Alford) finished with an 83 for 242 and a share of 26th place.
Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) had an 83 for joint 29th place on 243.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 225 (3 x 75)
223 Danielle McVeigh (NIr) 71 79 73.
224 Rachel Jennings (Eng) 73 75 76.
228 Tara Davies (Wal) 72 76 80.
229 Holly Clyburn (Eng) 75 79 85.
230 Tilly Holder (Eng) 75 78 77.
232 Kelly Tidy (Eng) 75 79 78, Corisande Lee (Eng) 76 77 79, Gemma Bradbury (Wal) 74 78 80, Kylie Walker (Sco) 71 77 84.
233 Nikki Foster (Eng) 78 79 76, Stephanie Evans (Wal) 75 76 82.
234 Charlie Douglass (Eng) 77 77 80, Carly Booth (Sco) 81 72 81.
235 Charlotte Dalton (Eng) 73 83 79, Amy Boulden (Wal) 75 80 80, Rhian Wyn Thomas (Wal) 73 81 81.
236 Kelsey MacDonald (Sco) 74 81 81.
237 Kate Whitmore (Eng) 81 79 77, Hannah Barwood (Eng) 79 77 81, Kym Larratt (Eng) 77 79 81.
238 Lisa Ball (Eng) 75 85 78, Natalie Hall (Eng) 76 79 83.
239 Charlotte Wild (Eng) 80 86 73, Sarah Attwood (Eng) 75 80 84.
240 Bronwyn Davies (Eng) 75 87 78.
242 Tracey Boyes (Eng) 78 82 82, Laura Murray (Sco) 83 76 83, Joelle Van Baarle (Bel) 82 72 88.
243 Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 80 80 83, Rachael Goodall (Eng) 80 80 83.
244 Charlotte Ellis (Eng) 81 79 84, Hermione Fitzgerald (Eng) 79 80 85.
245 Micah Carroll (Eng) 81 79 85.
246 Niamh Kitching (Ire) 87 77 82, Amy Skoulding (Eng) 81 83 82.
247 Hannah Jenkins (Wal) 85 79 83.
248 Samantha Birks (Wal) 83 80 85.
250 Jerry Lawrence (Eng0 79 89 82.
251 Manon De Roey (Bel) 81 85 85, Becky Harries (Wal) 84 80 87.
253 Lisa Barton (Eng) 90 78 85, Rachel C Lewis (Wal) 82 83 88.
256 Natasha Gobey (Wal) 85 86 85.
264 Victoria Davies (Wal) 89 84 91.
268 Chelsey Herbert (Wal) 87 95 86, Beth Davies (Wal) 91 85 92.
271 Jessica Bradley (Eng) 96 82 93, Anna Carling (Wal) 89 89 93.
275 Therese Karlsson (Swe) 97 89 89.
280 Laura King (Wal) 93 89 98.