PAULA GRANT LEADING QUALIFIER AT IRISH GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
In glorious sunshine the links at Murvagh proved a stern challenge for the field at the Lancome Irish Girls Close Championship. With the championship course measuring just over 6000 yards, par 74 and SSS 76, it was the rough that proved the toughest obstacle.
Locals said that the combination of some sunshine and plenty of rain over the last three weeks has caused immense growth on the course. However, players that managed to stay on the fairway were rewarded and the best score of the morning came from Paula Grant (Lisburn) and Jenny Hennessy (Lahinch) who both had 77.
Two shots further adrift on 79 were Jessica Carty (Holywood) and Jean O’Driscoll (Muskerry) while experienced links player, Sinead Sexton from Lahinch is nicely poised in fifth place with 80.
In benign conditions the scoring improved overall in the afternoon qualifying session. The leaders showed no signs of fatigue in sweltering sunshine; Paula Grant was leading qualifier, with 3 birdies on the front nine Paula returned a level par round of 74, a total of 151. Jessica Carty and Sinead Sexton also improved considerably with a pair of 75’s and qualified in second and third place respectively.
Emily McGuinness from Greenore Golf Club had a remarkable achievement during her practice round with two consecutive holes in one!
Emily amazed seasoned male members of Donegal Golf Club who were on the elevated sixth tee box when she hit an 8 iron to the 119 yd par 3, 5th hole. She watched her shot land on the green and roll straight into the hole – her first hole in one ever!
Emily then decided, as it was practice, that maybe the club would have been too much if it had missed the hole. So, she took out a 9 iron for the same shot. Emily and the onlookers were duly flabbergasted to see the ball once again roll straight in the hole for her second hole in one, within a minute of each other. Quite a feat – well done to Emily, this is one for the record books!
Championship Draw
(Blake Cup)
08:30 Paula Grant (Lisburn) v Mary Doyle (The Heath)
08:39 Olivia Mehaffey (Royal Co. Down Ladies) v Hannah Henderson (Ballyclare)
08:48 Holly Robinson (Co. Sligo) v Roisin Brady (Co. Louth)
08:57 Rebecca O'Regan (Newlands) v Jean O'Driscoll (Muskerry)
09:06 Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) v Eadaoin Cronin (Bantry Bay)
09:15 Victoria Craig (Clandeboye) v Jenny Hennessy (Lahinch)
09:24 Jessica Ross (Clandeboye) v Niamh Ward (Lurgan)
09:33 Sarah Boden (Kilkeel) v Jessica Carty (Holywood)


Plate Draw
(Pat Fletcher Trophy)
09:42 Amy Chambers (Dunfanaghy) V Amy Gillen (Co. Meath)
09:51 Chloe Weir (Shandon Park) V Jill O'Driscoll (Muskerry)
10:00 Rachel Taylor (Laytown & Bettystown) V Jenny Sykes (Dun Laoghaire)
10:09 Shannen Brown (The Heath) V Ashley Constantine (Stackstown)
10:18 Tara Whelen (East Clare) V Blaithin O'Brien (Roscommon)
10:27 Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel) V Jessica Boal (Larne)
10:36 Emily McGuinness (Greenore) V Darcey Carr (Milltown)
10:45 Lisa O'Shea (Shannon) V Shannon Heerey (Headfort)

Qualifying Scores - Round 1 and 2
Par 74, CSS R1 75, R2 75
151 Paula Grant (Lisburn) 77 74
154 Jessica Carty (Holywood) 79 75
155 Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) 80 75
156 Jean O'Driscoll (Muskerry) 79 77
158 Holly Robinson (Co. Sligo) 81 77 Jenny Hennessy (Lahinch) 77 81
159 Jessica Ross (Clandeboye) 82 77
162 Hannah Henderson (Ballyclare) 81 81
163 Olivia Mehaffey (Royal Co. Down Ladies) 84 79
164 Niamh Ward (Lurgan) 81 83 Victoria Craig (Clandeboye) 81 83
168 Roisin Brady (Co. Louth) 88 80 Rebecca O'Regan (Newlands) 87 81
169 Eadaoin Cronin (Bantry Bay) 84 85
170 Sarah Boden (Kilkeel) 87 83 Mary Doyle (The Heath) 84 86 Amy Chambers (Dunfanaghy) 83 87
171 Shannon Heerey (Headfort) 87 84
172 Tara Whelen (East Clare) 87 85 Ashley Constantine (Stackstown) 82 90
173 Rachel Taylor (Laytown & Bettystown) 90 83 Jessica Boal (Larne) 85 88
174 Emily McGuinness (Greenore) 86 88
175 Jill O'Driscoll (Muskerry) 86 89
176 Chloe Weir (Shandon Park) 91 85 Darcey Carr (Milltown) 90 86
177 Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel) 93 84
178 Jenny Sykes (Dun Laoghaire) 90 88 Shannen Brown (The Heath) 89 89
178 Blaithin O'Brien (Roscommon) 87 91
181 Lisa O'Shea (Shannon) 88 93
182 Amy Gillen (Co. Meath) 94 88 Eimear Delaney (Birr) 90 92 Michelle Tierney (Waterford Castle) 90 92
183 Shauna Brady (Co. Sligo) 90 93
184 Niamh Moreton (Galway) 93 91 Meadhbh Doyle (Portarlington) 92 92
185 Maeve Kelly (Castle Dargan) 92 93
187 Judithe Allen (Ballyclare) 91 96
190 Anne-Marie Byrne (Castletroy) 99 91 Helen McDonagh (Co. Sligo) 96 94
192 Zoe Black (Bangor) 92 100
198 Nicola Stokes (Laytown & Bettystown) 98 100
200 Katie Aherne (Waterford Castle) 99 101
203 Miren Maguire (Foxrock) 111 92
205 Roisin Ni Chuireain (Cloughaneely) 100 105
89 April Timothy (Roscommon) 89 N/R