PRESS RELEASE

Irish Senior Women’s Close Championship

Birr Golf Club

Tuesday 28 June – Friday 1 July 2016

 

Gertie blazes birdie trail to lead Irish Seniors'

Close Championship at Birr

 

FROM SARAH CROWE

 

Live Scoring Link

 

It was a calm and cool day at Birr Golf Club for the competitors at the Irish Senior Women’s Close Championship. East Berkshire’s Laura Webb took the first tee shot of the day, quickly followed by playing partners Gertie McMullen (The Island) and Carol Wickham (Laytown & Bettystown).

 

Defending her Irish Senior Close title, McMullen swiftly took the lead on day one. She opened with a birdie three before dropping shots on the 5^th, 8^th and 10^th holes, which placed her at level pegging with fellow competitors. However, a run of birdies on the 11^th, 12^th, 14^th and 18^th saw her four under through the last eight to finish with an impressive 71 (-2). She leads the field by three from closest competitors, 2013 finalist Carol Wickham (Laytown & Bettystown) and Tralee’s Mary Sheehy.

 

The chasing pack also include Maria O’Reilly (Headfort) on 75 and Mary MacLaren (Royal Portrush) on 76, with many others not far back. The field will play a further 18 holes over the immaculate parkland layout at Birr tomorrow Wednesday, with the top 16 qualifying for matchplay over the following two days. Players in positions seventeen through thirty-two will qualify for the Plate matchplay.

Irish Senior Women’s Close Championship

 FIRST ROUND

 (Par 73 SSS 73 CSS 73)
71 Gertie McMullen (The Island)
74 Carol Wickham (Laytown & Bettystown) Mary Sheehy (Tralee)
75 Maria O'Reilly (Headfort)
76 Mary MacLaren (Royal Portrush)
77 Catherine Bird (Nenagh) Laura Webb (East Berkshire) Helen Jones (Royal Portrush)
78 Sheena Mc Elroy (Grange) Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire) Paula Murray (Naas)
79 Emer Kirwan (Kiliney) Marilyn  Henderson (Royal Belfast) Suzanne Corcoran (Portumna) Valerie  Hassett (Ennis)
80 Fiona Corbett (Castletroy) Mary Dowling (Mallow) Margaret McAuliffe (Ballybunion) Pat  Doran (Donabate) Pauline Walsh (Headfort)
81 Ruth Maguire (Corrstown) Margaret Hayes (Tralee)
82 Rita McGoldrick (Enniscrone) Toni McDonagh (Fortwilliam) Kate Evans (Royal Co. Down Ladies) Vivienne Houston (City of Derry)
83 Rita O'Neill (Callan)
84 Vera Smyth (Birr) Catherine Reilly (The Heath) Pamela Morgan (Lahinch) Gemma Butler (Birr)
85 Mary Duane (Hermitage)
86 Breda Ryan (Callan) Yvonne Mac Sweeney (Wexford) Mary  Madden (Ballinasloe) Siobhan McGrath (Athlone) Honoria Fogarty (Castlecomer)
87 Mary Kinsella (Tullamore) Stephanie Mac Grath (Lahinch) Ann Monteith (Slieve Russell)
88 Valerie Shannon (Lahinch) Hazel Henderson (Royal Portrush)
89 Majorie Ahern (Lahinch) Stephanie McNiff (Tullamore)
90 Fiona Glass (Ballycastle) Catherine Carty (Tullamore) Elizabeth Neville (Bearna)
90 Christine Carroll (Killarney)
91 Julie Barkman (Nenagh) Nicky Smyth (Royal Portrush) Mary Mather (Cill Dara)
92 Mary Geaney (Killarney)
93 Kathleen Burke (Connemara)
95 Angela Cullinan (Lahinch) Mary Sadlier (Lahinch)

Qualifying Round 2 - Wednesday 29th June
09:30 Mary Kinsella (Tullamore) Gemma Butler (Birr) Majorie Ahern (Lahinch)
09:40 Rita McGoldrick (Enniscrone) Fiona Corbett (Castletroy) Valerie Shannon (Lahinch)
09:50 Siobhan McGrath (Athlone) Honoria Fogarty (Castlecomer) Mary Sadlier (Lahinch)
10:00 Vera Smyth (Birr) Julie Barkman (Nenagh) Elizabeth Neville (Bearna)
10:10 Catherine Carty (Tullamore) Angela Cullinan (Lahinch) Mary Mather (Cill Dara)
10:20 Stephanie McNiff (Tullamore) Fiona Glass (Ballycastle) Paula Murray (Naas)
10:30 Yvonne Mac Sweeney (Wexford) Christine Carroll (Killarney) Mary Sheehy (Tralee)
10:40 Kathleen Burke (Connemara) Kathleen Moylan (Tullamore) Mary Geaney (Killarney)
10:50 Hazel Henderson (Royal Portrush) Emer Kirwan (Killiney) Stephanie Mac Grath (Lahinch)
11:00 Laura Webb (East Berkshire) Mary Dowling (Mallow) Mary MacLaren (Royal Portrush)
11:10 Gertie McMullen (The Island) Suzanne Corcoran (Portumna) Helen Jones (Royal Portrush)
11:20 Carol Wickham (Laytown & Bettystown) Mary Duane (Hermitage) Sheena Mc Elroy (Grange)
11:30 Pat Doran (Donabate) Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire) Vivienne Houston (City of Derry)
11:40 Marilyn Henderson (Royal Belfast) Maria O'Reilly (Headfort) Catherine Reilly (The Heath)
11:50 Kate Evans (Royal Co. Down Ladies) Nicky Smyth (Royal Portrush) Pauline Walsh (Headfort)
12:00 Valerie Hassett (Ennis) Ruth Maguire (Corrstown) Margaret Hayes (Tralee)
12:10 Margaret McAuliffe (Ballybunion) Breda Ryan (Callan) Catherine Bird (Nenagh)
12:20 Mary Madden (Ballinasloe) Rita O'Neill (Callan) Ann Monteith (Slieve Russell)
12:30 Anne Wemyss (Callan) Toni McDonagh (Fortwilliam) Pamela Morgan (Lahinch)

 

Further information on the tournament, including live scoring can be found here: Irish Senior Womens Close Championship.