LADIES’ golf is a young player’s game just now, it would seem, considering recent results from major competitions and it is very probable that the Ladies’ Irish Close Championship at Rosapenna over the next four days will be won by one of the young brigade.
Mary Doyle from The Heath defends the title and she will have quite a stiff task to retain. Olivia Mehaffey (17), with her recent fantastic form, will be one of the favourites to rob Doyle of her crown but there are many others who can lay a claim to serious consideration.
Mehaffey – winner of the Scottish and Welsh Women’s Championships and, for the third year in-a-row, the Irish U18 title, during a superb few months this season – reached the semi-finals of the British Amateur Open at Portstewart last weekend, but she goes into the Irish challenge somewhat blind.
“I have never been to Rosapenna until this week,” disclosed the Royal County Down Ladies’ plus-3 handicapper.
“I heard a lot about the course and I have had a look at it now.’’
Doyle defeated Holywood teenager Jessica Carty by 2&1 in the final at Enniscrone last year and Carty, after qualifying in the British Open last week, will surely be keen to go a step further this time. She was third in the qualifying at Enniscrone behind Leitrim Cup winner Jessica Ross (Donaghadee) and Paula Grant (Lisburn).
Both Ross and Grant also qualified at Portstewart, with Grant having an excellent run to the quarter-finals, where she bowed out to Belgian competitor Charlotte De Corte by 3&2.
Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) lost in a play-off in the final of the Irish Open Strokeplay Championship last month, at Dun Laoghaire, so she must be very much in the running for a better result this time but there are many others capable of taking the crown from Doyle.
Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) is in the draw but not world number one Leona Maguire. Maria Dunne (Skerries), Niamh McSherry (Lurgan), Mary Dowling (Naas), Julie McCarthy (Forest Little) and Danielle McVeigh (RCDL), now returned from her pro career, will all have designs on success.
After two rounds of strokeplay qualifying today and tomorrow, 32 players will go through to the knockout stages on Monday with the semi-finals and final to be played next Tuesday.
