MEGHAN MACLAREN LEADS BY THREE IN IRISH OPEN STROKE PLAY

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION

England’s Meghan MacLaren fired an afternoon one over par 73 to lead the field going into Sunday's final round of the Irish Women’s Open Amateur Strokeplay at Castle Golf Club in Rathfarnham, Dublin.
MacLaren’s one under par 71 in the morning saw her hold the lunchtime lead by two strokes from Co. Louth’s Roisin Brady and Scotland’s Jessica Meek. 
MacLaren, a member at Wellingborough Golf Club, Northamptonshire and a student at Florida International University, had good reason to be happy, having holed her second shot for albatross at the par 5 ninth hole.
Meghan, who had her 19th birthday on May 15, is just home from completing her first year in the States. She won twice on the US women's college circuit on the August to May season.
In second place after 36 holes is Stirling University student and Scotland international Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm).  She is three shots off the pace after rounds of 76-71 for 147. Eilidh's one-under-par second round matched Meghan MacLaren's opening score as the best of the day. 
Brady slipped to an afternoon 82 to lie joint 12th while Meek added a 78 to lie in sixth place.
Paula Grant (Lisburn) leads the Irish challenge after an impressive 73 to add to her opening 76 while Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) is one shot further back on 150 after rounds of 78 and 72.
Woodenbridge’s Louise Mernagh had also cause for celebration following her hole-in-one with a solid seven-iron at the third hole.
Ireland lies in second place in the Nations Cup, 5 strokes behind England, followed by Scotland and Brazil.
The top 40 competitors will now play the final 18 holes tomorrow Sunday with the leaders teeing off at the end of the field.
With complimentary entry for spectators, visitors to Castle are most welcome.

ROUND 2 SCORES
Par 144 (2x72) SS 74. CSS 76 75
144 Meghan Maclaren (ENG) 71 73
147 Eilidh Briggs (SCO) 76 71
149 Paula Grant (Lisburn) 76 73
150 Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) 78 72 Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion) 74 76
151 Lesley Atkins (SCO) 74 77 Sarah Jane Boyd (ENG) 74 77 Jessica Meek (SCO) 73 78
153 Amy Boulden (WAL) 77 76
154 Maria Dunne (Skerries) 79 75 Olivia Mehaffey (RCD Ladies) 78 76
155 Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) 81 74 Nathalie Rodrigues da Silva (BRA) 80 75 Samantha Giles (ENG) 79 76 Jessica Wilcox (ENG) 79 76 Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) 77 78 Lisa O'Shea (Shannon) 76 79 Róisín Brady (Co. Louth) 73 82 Samantha Fuller (ENG) 73 82
156 Chloe Weir (Shandon Park) 83 73 Jessica Carty (Holywood) 79 77 Mary Doyle (The Heath) 77 79
157 Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) 79 78 Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) 76 81 Niamh McSherry (Lurgan) 76 81
158 Gillian O'Leary (The Island) 79 79 Amy Farrell (Moate) 78 80
159 Clara Teixeira (BRA) 78 81 Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park) 77 82
161 Patrice Delaney (Birr) 81 80
162 Áedín Murphy (Carlow) 80 82 Jessica Ross (Donaghadee) 80 82
163 Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) 85 78 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) 80 83
166 Meadhbh Doyle (Portarlington) 82 84
167 Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel) 87 80 Hannah McCook (SCO) 82 85 Rachel Walker (SCO) 82 85
168 Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) 85 83 Daisy-May Kenny (ENG) 83 85Non-Qualifiers
169 Gertie McMullen (The Island) 80 89
170 Karen Delaney (Carlow) 87 83
171 Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe) 88 83 Niamh Ward (Lurgan) 84 87
172 Jenny Maguire (Foxrock) 90 82 Holly Robinson (Co Sligo) 88 84 Sarah Boden (Kilkeel) 86 86
172 Victoria Craig (Clandeboye) 83 89
173 Laura Doherty (Howth) 87 86
174 Maria Beaton (Castle) 88 86 Daisy Macve (ENG) 83 91
175 Kirsty Beckwith (ENG) 87 88
176 Louise Hanratty (Mannan Castle) 93 83 Claire Keating (Killarney) 84 92
177 Clíodhna McCarthy (Stackstown) 89 88
177 Sophie Harrison (Sutton) 87 90
181 Rachel Taylor (Laytown and  Bettystown) 92 89
182 Hayley Mackay (ENG) 92 90
190 Ruth Maguire (Corrstown) 100 90
WD Louise Coffey (Malone) 86 WD 
SUNDAY DRAW
08:00 Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) Daisy-May Kenny (ENG)
08:10 Hannah McCook (SCO) Rachel Walker (SCO)
08:20 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) Meadhbh Doyle (Portarlington) Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel)
08:30 Áedín Murphy (Carlow) Jessica Ross (Donaghadee) Aoife Lowry (Tipperary)
08:40 Clara Teixeira (BRA) Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park) Patrice Delaney (Birr)
08:50 Niamh McSherry (Lurgan) Gillian O'Leary (The Island) Amy Farrell (Moate)
09:00 Mary Doyle (The Heath) Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) Sinead Sexton (Lahinch)
09:20 Samantha Fuller (ENG) Chloe Weir (Shandon Park) Jessica Carty (Holywood)
09:30 Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) Lisa O'Shea (Shannon) Róisín Brady (Co. Louth)
09:40 Nathalie Rodrigues da Silva (BRA) Samantha Giles (ENG) Jessica Wilcox (ENG)
09:50 Maria Dunne (Skerries) Olivia Mehaffey (RCD Ladies) Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge)
10:00 Sarah Jane Boyd (ENG) Jessica Meek (SCO) Amy Boulden (WAL)
10:10 Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion) Lesley Atkins (SCO)
10:20 Meghan Maclaren (ENG) Eilidh Briggs (SCO) Paula Grant (Lisburn) 
NATIONS CUP
294 ENGLAND: Sarah Jane Boyd [74] 77 Samantha Fuller 73 [82] Meghan Maclaren 71 73
299 IRELAND: Paula Grant 76 73 Olivia Mehaffey 78 [76] Chloe Ryan [78] 72
302 SCOTLAND: Lesley Atkins 74 77 Hannah McCook [82] [85] Jessica Meek 73 78
308 BRAZIL: Nathalie Rodrigues da Silva 80 75 Clara Teixeira 78 75