IRISH PLAYERS FIRST, SECOND AND FOURTH IN EUROPEAN EVENT

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Irish players dominated the final placings of the European women's individual amateur golf championship at Noordwijkse Golf Club in Holland today.
In very windy conditions, 16-year-old Lisa Maguire, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, from Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, a member of the Slieve Russell club, became the first player from Ireland ever to win this prestigious title since the tournament was inaugurated in 1986.
Lisa, relegated to reserve duty for the Great Britain and Ireland team for the recent Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe at Royal Porthcawl after playing in last year's Curtis Cup match, finished with her worst round of the four - wind-blown, seven-over-par 79 for a five-over total of 293. Her earlier scores which had take her four shots clear of the field after 54 holes were 73, 68 and 73.
Irish players also finish second and fourth.
Vagliano Trophy player Stephanie Meadow, from Jordanstown, Northern Ireland, was the runner-up with scores of 78, 71, 75 and 73 for 297.
Lisa Maguire's twin, Leona who has generally outscored her sibling over the past year or so except for the Spanish open amateur championship which Lisa won, finished fourth on 300 with rounds of 73, 75, 72 and 80.
Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play champion Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) was the highest placed English player in joint seventh place with scores of 75, 79, 76 and 74 for 304.
Welsh teenager and Vagliano Trophy team selection Amy Boulden finished joint 17th on 308 with scores of 76, 76, 79 and 77.
Irish champion Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down), another Vagliano Trophy player, had scores of 80, 77, 74 and 78  for 309 and just made the top 20 in joint 19th position.
Top Scot was California student Sally Watson in joint 19th position on 309 with scores of 73, 85, 75 and 80. Watson, a Curtis Cup player last year and also in 2008 was not selected for the GB and I team for the recent match at Royal Porthcawl.
Stirling student Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Scottish champion in 2010, who did play in the Vagliano Trophy team, finished joint 48th on 317 with scores of 79, 71, 84 and 83.
The other Scot who survived the third round cut - Scottish champion Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) did not - was Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), the Curtis Cup player from Hamilton.
Pamela withdrew with an injury before the final round after scoring 74, 79 and 75 in the earlier rounds.

FROM THE EUROPEAN GOLF ASSOCIATION WEBSITE

Never mind the strong winds. Never mind the difficulties of the Noordwijkse Golf Club. And never mind the charge on the second nine of Denmark's Charlotte Kring Lorentzen. All that could be forgotten after a tough day on the golf course: Lisa Maguire is the new European women's amateur champion. And she wants the world to know it.
'My twin sister Leona had already won twice this year', Lisa said. 'In Portugal and in Ireland. I had only one victory, in the Spanish Amateur. So we're even now. And this European title was the one I really wanted.'
Sixteen year young Lisa Maguire became Ireland's first winner of the International European Ladies' Amateur Championship and to make things even better for the Irish there was silver for Stephanie Meadow plus Leona Maguire claimed fourth spot.
Lisa Maguire shot a 79 in brutal conditions on the par-72 seaside course of the Noordwijkse Golfclub for a winning score of 293 (+5). Near gale-force winds out of the west really tested the 61 players who had survived the 54-hole cut. Scotland's Pamela Pretswell did not play on Saturday: she had to withdraw because of an injury.
Norway's flag was lowered to half mast because of the terrorist attacks in and near Oslo, but the only remaining player of the Scandinavian country still completed the last round: Nicoline Skaug finished 23rd.
Lisa Maguire started the day four shots in front and at the turn she was as much as seven ahead. But suddenly there were bogeys on ten, twelve and thirteen. Combined with a good birdie of Charlotte Kring Lorentzen of Denmark made things tight again.
But on the long 14th Kring Lorentzen drove the ball in the right hand rough and, without thinking, she moved a bramble that was still attached to the ground. That was in breach with Rule 13-2 (Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing, or Line of Play) and it cost her two penalty shots and perhaps the title.
'I really did not know that it was attached', said the 21 year old from the Smorum Golf Club later. 'But it was wrong. I couldn't do anything else but to continue. But be sure: this is a mistake I will not make again in my life.'
Almost 19 years to the day a similar mistake - in the fourth round - on the 11th of the Noordwijkse cost England's Mike McLean the title in the 1992 Heineken Dutch Open. So beware anyone who competes on this great course in the west of Holland…
Charlotte Kring Lorentzen showed character by holing a seven-metre putt for bogey on fourteen. But it wasn't enough. Like Lisa Maguire she shot a 79 en finished in third place, five shots behind the new champion.
'It was tough', Lisa later said. 'It was one of the toughest days ever on a golf course. I knew that making as much pars as possible was going to be the key today. Especially when Charlotte came a bit closer. But I was able to pull it off.'

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
293 Lisa Maguire (Ire) 73 68 73 69
297 Stephanie Meadow (Ire) 78 71 75 73
298 Charlotte Lorentzen (Den) 74 70 75 79
300 Leona Maguire (Ire) 73 75 72 80

SELECTED TOTALS
304 Charlotte Ellis (Eng) 756 79 76 74 (T7)
309 Sally Watson (sco) 73 81 75 80 (T19)
317 Kelsey MacDonald (Sco) 79 71 84 83 (T48)
318 Becky Harries (Wal) 79 78 80 81
Withdrew: Pamela Pretswell (Sco) 74 79 75 wd