LEONA MAGUIRE DEFENDS PORTUGUESE LADIES AMATEUR TITLE

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION

Slieve Russell’s Leona Maguire defends her Portuguese Ladies Amateur title when Europe’s top lady amateurs tee up in the 72 hole event at Montado, Lisbon next Thursday, January 26.

Leona, who last year fired a final round of four under par 68, was runaway winner in 2011, finishing a whopping 15 shots clear of Karolin Lampert (Germany) and Karlijn Zaanen (Netherlands) at Aroeria last January. 

There are 11 Irish players in the quality field of 108. This year sees Leona once again joined by sister Lisa, who finished 10th last year, Irish girls’ champion Paula Grant (Lisburn), current international Gillian O’Leary (Cork), Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor), Jessica Carty (Holywood), Sarah Cunningham (Ennis), Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge), Aedin Murphy (Carlow), Jean O’Driscoll (Muskerry) and Lucy Simpson (Massereene).

The 82^nd Portuguese Amateur marks the start of the 2012 Ladies International season in Europe and is sure to be tightly contested amongst Europe's elite players. With Nairn hosting a home-soil Curtis Cup in June, there will be a strong GB and I representation with each player eager to impress the LGU selectors early in the season.The event tees off with three stroke-play rounds over Thursday, Friday and Saturday with the top forty players and ties competing over a final 18 holes on Sunday to decide the champion.

 Ireland will also defend their Nations Cup having defeated France by 9 shots last year.

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