McELROY'S THIRD WIN IN FOUR YEARS AT IRISH SENIOR CH/SHIP

Sheena McElroy, retained the Irish senior women's title (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency)

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
Defending champion Sheena McElroy (Grange) defeated Headfort’s Pauline Walsh to secure her third Irish Senior Women’s Close Championship in four years at Adare Manor Golf Club today.
McElroy raced to an early lead over the luckless Walsh and, at one under par, held a five-hole advantage at the turn. McElroy continued her dominance of this event in recent years and closed out the match on the 13th green.
Earlier in the day, McElroy got off to a flying start in her semi final match with Pat Doran (Donabate) and never looked back turning into the back nine with a two hole advantage. Doran holed out solidly on fifteen to reduce the gap to one hole but McElroy immediately responded winning the sixteenth and a two putt par on the seventeenth ended the affair.
In the other semi final, Irish Open Strokeplay Champion Helen Jones (Strabane) struggled to continue the impressive form she found earlier in the week and Walsh closed out the match on thirteen.
Meanwhile, in a much closer affair Gertie McMullen (The Island) defeated ILGU Chief Executive Sinead Heraty (Castle) on the sixteenth to win the Seniors' Plate Final at the same venue.

Today's results:
CHAMPIONSHIP
SEMI-FINALS
Sheena McElroy (Grange) bt Pat Doran (Donabate) 2 and 1
Pauline Walsh (Headfort) bt Helen Jones (Strabane) 7 and 5
FINAL
McElroy bt Walsh 7 and 6.PLATE
SEMI-FINALS
Sinead Heraty (Castle) bt Mary Madden (Ballinasloe) 5 and 4
Gertie McMullen (The Island) bt Gemma Butler (Birr) 3 and
FINAL
McMullen bt Heraty 3 and 2