Lisa bounces back from Harlech hiatus

to spreadeagle Irish stroke-play field

Irish women’s champion Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) did not qualify for the match-play stages of the Ladies British open amateur championship at Harlech last week but she recovered her form in terrific style at Douglas Golf Club today.
Lisa leads the field by four strokes following a sensational opening 66 at the 3 Irish Women’s Open Strokeplay championship
In blustery but dry conditions, 14-year-old twin Maguire, starting her round at the 10th, stuttered over the tenth and eleventh to stand two over par after two holes. Five birdies over her next seven holes saw her turn three under par and a further five birdies over the front nine at Douglas saw her sign for a most impressive seven under par 66 and a four shot lead.
Next best was Scotland’s Jane Turner. The Craigielaw player battled the blustery conditions to return a 70 while Australia’s Stacey Keating, winner of this event in 2007, carded a one under par 72.
Caroline Bon (New Zealand), Laure Castelain (France) and Lisa’s twin sister Leona carded level par 73s to lead a group of eight players who signed for 74.
In the team event, Ireland lead Scotland by five shots. The top forty players after 36 holes, will play a further two rounds on Sunday.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
66 Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell).
70 Jane Turner (SCO).
72 Stacey Keating (AUS).
73 Caroline Bon (NZ), Laure Castelain (FRA), Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell).
74 Tara Davies (WAL), Aedin Murphy (Carlow), Julia Boland (AUS), Hannah Burke (ENG), Laura McCarthy (Muskerry), Laura Murray (SCO), Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion), Charlene Reid (Royal Portush).
75 Ciara Butler (Newlands), Manon Gidali (FRA), Kelly Tidy (ENG), Tara Watters (ENG).
76 Sarah Faller (Galway), Rachel Jennings (ENG), Annika Korkeila (FIN),Kym Larratt (ENG), Pamela Pretswell (SCO).
77 Rebecca Flood (AUS), Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor), Charlie Douglass (ENG), Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge), Shauna O'Brien (Clonmel), Sue Phillips (Woodbrook).
78 Charlotte Wild (ENG), Gemma Bradbury (WAL), Sarah Cunningham (Ennis), Mary Dowling (New Ross), Tilly Holder (ENG), Aoife Lowry (Tipperary), Karen O'Neill (Douglas), Sarah Crowe (Tipperary).
79 Karen Delaney (Carlow), Lillian Harrington (East Cork), Jerry Lawrence (ENG), Rhian Wyn Thomas (WAL).
80 Rachel Cassidy (The Island), Sinead O'Sullivan (Galway), Catherine Tucker (Limerick).
81 Carly Booth (SCO), Amy Boulden (WAL), Niamh Kitching (Claremorris).
82 Anne McCormack (Roscommon), Daisy-May Kenny (ENG), Lucy Simpson (Massereene).
83 Nicole Garcia (SAf), Ailish Thompson (Douglas).
84 Emma Gilmore (Mountbellew), Minna Vuorenpaa (FIN).
85 Sarah Murray (Co Louth), Gillian O'Leary (Cork), Rebecca Watson (SCO).
86 Maria Dunne (Skerries), Rhona Brennan (Bandon), Jean Farrell (Youghal), Fiona Howard (ENG), Lynda Maher (Charleville).
87 Val Shannon (Douglas), Suzy Sheehan (The Island).
88 Vivian Gallin (GER).
89 Claire Keating (Charleville).
92 Mary Lowney (Dunmore).
INTERNATIONAL TEAM EVENT
139 IRELAND: Niamh Kitching 81 (non-counting), Leona Maguire 73, Lisa Maguire 66).
144 SCOTLAND: Carly Booth 81 (non-counting), Laura Murray 74, Jane Turner 70.
146 AUSTRALIA: Julia Boland 74 Rebecca Flood 77 (non-counting), Stacey Keating 72.
148 FRANCE: Laure Castelain 73, Manon Gidali 75.
152 ENGLAND: Kym Larratt 76, Rachel Jennings 76, Charlotte Wild 78 (non-counting).
153 WALES: Amy Boulden 81 (non-counting), Tara Davies 74, Rhian Wyn Thomas 79.
160 FINLAND: Annika Korkeila 76, Minna Vuorenpaa 84