Danielle McVeigh v Karen Delaney in Irish women's close amateur final

Danielle McVeigh in action, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies), in devastating form, has reached her first Lancome Irish women's close amateur championship final and will play Carlow's Karen Delaney, a former winner of the title, over her home course tomorrow (teeing off at 10am).
Summary of quarter-finals
Karen Delaney started well and was four p at the turn against Deirdre Smith who then reduced her deficit to two holes. Karen maintained her excellent form to win on the 17th. Karen was happy with her game and said the key to her game was par golf and putting well on tricky greens.
Patrice Delaney (Birr) got her quarter-final against Charlene Reid off to a great chip-in birdie start to go one up. Charlene got her own back on the par 4 10th where she holed her second. Patrice was one up throughout much of the back nine but Charlene levelled the match with a birdie on 17. Patrice answered with a birdie win on the 18th.
Danielle McVeigh (RCDL) made a blistering start against Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge). She holed her second shot with a three-wood for an albatross 2 at the par-5 first hole. She went on to birdie the second, fourth, fifth and seventh to be seven under par after only seven holes.
Mernagh had no chance to reply as Danielle went on to birdie and close out the match on the 14th. Danielle admitted “golf was good today” and she had a great caddie with Gillian O’Leary on the bag.
Eileen Rose Power (Kilkenny), two down after 12, maintained her composure and eventually levelled her match against a well supported Aedin Murphy (Carlow) with a birdie on the 17th.
On the last, Aedin pulled her second shot into the trees to return a bogey which left Eileen Rose with a par to win the match.

Summary of the semi-finals
Karen Delaney, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, continued her impressive form and was four up after nine with birdies at the eighth and ninth against namesake Patrice Delaney who reduced the deficit to three  by winning the 10th hole.
Patrice then birdied the 14th to be only two adrift. Karen regained her composure and won the 15th and with both players having birdies on the 16th Karen secured her place in the final, much to the delight of the home crowd.
Danielle McVeigh, once again in devastating form, was two up on three times past champion Eileen Rose Power by the seventh and with a birdie 3 on the ninth she went three up.
Eileen Rose was unlucky to find water on the 10th and by the 14th Danielle was dormie five and won the match 5 and 4.


HANNAH HENDERSON RALLIES TO WIN ITA WALLACE TROPHY

The Ita Wallace Trophy plate final saw Hannah Henderson (Ballyclare) bt Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint) at the 19th.
Hannah Henderson once again came from behind to claim the Ita Wallace trophy. Tara Gribben had birdies at the fifth and ninth and was four up after 12 but Hannah, true to form, had birdies at 14, 16 and 17 and the match was level playing 18 which was halved in par. Hannah had the momentum and went to win the first extra hole.

TODAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

QUARTER-FINALS
Karen Delaney (Carlow) bt Deirdre Smith (Co Louth) 2 and 1.
Patrice Delaney (Birr) bt Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) 1 hole.
Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies) bt Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) 6 and 4.

Eileen Rose Power (Killarney) bt Aedin Murphy (Carlow) 1 hole.

SEMI-FINALS

Karen Delaney bt Patrice Delaney 3 and 2.

McVeigh bt Power 5 and 4.