CURTIS CUP HERO STEPHANIE IS FAVOURITE FOR IRISH TITLE

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION

Royal Portrush’s Stephanie Meadow, fresh from capturing GB and I’s winning point at last weekend’s Curtis Cup, will start as clear favourite to capture her first Irish Women’s Close Amateur title when competitors tee up at Co. Louth on Saturday.
Stephanie, pictured left on the second tee of her decisive  Curtis Cup singles match against Amy Anderson, has been the leading Irish player this season and in addition to impressive results on the US College circuit, claimed a notable 3pt from four starts when the GB and I team celebrated its first Curtis Cup win over the Americans since victory at Killlarney in 1996.
One doesn’t need to look much further than the Maguire twins to find Stephanie’s closest rivals at this weekend’s event at Baltray.

Leona, pictured below in Curtis Cup singles action, who herself captured one and a half GB  and I points at Nairn, and her twin sister Lisa are already showing the kind of form that saw them crowned Irish Amateur Champions in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
Past champion Deirdre Smith is sure to feature in the final rounds over her home course as are past champions Mary Dowling and Karen Delaney who consistently find form when the national championship is played over seaside links. 

Another wildcard worth a flutter is past member Maria Dunne who, like Dowling, took maximum points at the Inter-provincials, while Jennifer Gannon is sure to pack a punch, hailing from that famous stable of many golfing successes. Current internationals also bidding for glory include Gillian O’Leary (Cork) and Paula Grant (Lisburn) who are both showing strong runs of form while Jessica Carty (Holywood), Olivia Mehaffey (Royal Co Down Ladies) and Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park) are three upcoming juniors sure to present a serious challenge.

With valuable Order of Merit points on offer, the underage competitors will be looking to impress Irish selectors ahead of next month’s European Girls Team Championships in Germany while the Women’s Home International team will be announced later in July. 

The Championship starts Saturday with the 36 hole Leitrim Cup qualifying stroke play after which the leading 32 players will go into five rounds of championship match play. The semi-finals and final take place on Tuesday 19 June 
 
The Irish Women’s Close Amateur was first played in 1894, just one year after the foundation of the ILGU, the oldest national union or association in ladies’ golf. 2012 sees another consecutive year’s hosting of the event, excluding the war years. TIMESHEET 36 HOLES STOKEPLAY - SATURDAY 16 JUNE
Tee 1 Tee 10
08:00 13:30 Mary Doyle (The Heath), Marie Carr (Athenry), Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park)
08:10 13:40 Jennifer Gannon (Co. Louth),  Jean O'Driscoll (Muskerry)  Aoife Lowry (Tipperary)
08:20 13:50 Laura Doherty (Howth)  Róisín Brady (Co. Louth)  Victoria Craig (Clandeboye)
08:30 14:00 Gillian O'Leary (Cork)  Mary Dowling (New Ross)  Paula Grant (Lisburn)
08:40 14:10 Catherine Reilly (The Heath)  Gertie McMullen (Island)  Sarah Murray (Co. Louth)
08:50 14:20 Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush)  Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth)  Sarah Cunningham (Ennis)
09:00 14:30 Pat Doran (Donabate)  Oonagh Purfield (Co. Louth)  Kelsey Coey (Clandeboye)
09:10 14:40 Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell)  Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor)  Karen Delaney (Carlow)
09:20 14:50 Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire)  Ailish Thompson (Cork) Patsy McCarthy (Grange) 
09:30 15:00 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell)  Jessica Carty (Holywood) Lucy Simpson (Massereene)
09:40 15:10 Aisling Parker (Greenore)  Judithe Allen (Ballyclare)  Ann McAuley  (Laytown and Bettystown)
09:50 15:20 Hannah Henderson (Ballyclare)  Zoe Allen (Lurgan)  Darcey Carr (Milltown)

Tee 10 Tee 1
08:00 13:30 Rosemary Howell (Co.Louth)  Fiona Farrell (Skerries)  Meadhbh Doyle (Portarlington)
08:10 13:40 Laura Grant (Lisburn)  Amy Farrell (Moate)  Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint)
08:20 13:50 Emily McGuinness (Greenore)  Barbara Cooney (Laytown & Bettystown)  Clíodhna McCarthy (Stackstown)
08:30 14:00 Louise Coffey (Malone)  Maria Dunne (Skerries)  Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion)
08:40 14:10 Holly Robinson (Co. Sligo)  Shannen Brown (The Heath)  Nicola Coffey (Woodbrook)
08:50 14:20 Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge)  Megan Thompson (Ballyclare)  Sue Phillips (Woodbrook)
09:00 14:30 Niamh Ward (Lurgan)  Ann Monteith (Slieve Russell)
09:10 14:40 Anne McCormack (Roscommon)  Helen Jones (Strabane) Anna Courtney (St. Anne's)
09:20 14:50 Rebecca O'Regan (Newlands)  Catherine Kavanagh (Mitchelstown)  Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little)
09:30 15:00 Olivia Mehaffey (RCD Ladies)  Sarah Helly (Enniscrone)  Carol Wickham (Laytown and Bettystown)
09:40 15:10 Rachel Taylor (Laytown & Bettystown)  Ciara Leonard (Mitchelstown) Ruth Maguire (Corrstown)
09:50 15:20 Sheena McElroy (Grange)  Suzy Sheehan (The Island)
10:00 15:30 Áedín Murphy (Carlow)  Carla Reynolds (Seapoint)  Sinead Sexton (Lahinch)