GOLF/Lancome Irish Ladies Close Championship: Alison Coffey will have another milestone in her illustrious career in mind when she tees-up in the Lancome Irish Ladies Close Championship at Cork Golf Club, Little Island, this morning.
Coffey, who last week was selected on the Curtis Cup team to play the US in Pittsburgh on August 3rd and 4th, is a strong favourite to join Claire Dowling (nee Hourihane) and Philomena Garvey as the only players to have won three or more Close titles in-a-row.
Coffey will be keen to carry her recent form into the Cork event. She reached the semi-final of the British Amateur Championship at Ashburnham two weeks ago before going out to Lindsay Wright and was also runner-up to Heather Stirling in the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews, when she was beaten by just three shots after rounds of 76, 70, 75.
Only four former winners - Mary McKenna, Eileen Rose Power, Claire Coughlan and Coffey - are in the draw. It's 34 years since eight times winner McKenna won her first Close title at Ballybunion but the recently retired bank official is still capable of matching the best.
McKenna, the Irish non-playing captain, was the best Irish finisher in the recent European Seniors Championship at La Manga Golf Club in Spain when she finished 10th behind France's Cecilia Mourgue d'Algue.
Playing off a one handicap, McKenna had rounds of 86, 73 and 84 while Valerie Hassett tied for 14th, with Jane B Allen in 23rd place.
Former champion Coughlan will be hoping that home advantage gives her an edge in her bid to regain the title she won in 1999, while the younger members in the field - Martina Gillen (Beaverstown) a reserve on the Curtis Cup team, Sinead O'Sullivan (Galway) and Heather Nolan (Shannon) will be anxious to impress the Irish selectors before the team for the Home internationals is announced later this week.
However, it's hard to look beyond Coffey, who should lift her third Irish title on Saturday.
Meanwhile, six top ILGU golfers from Clare, Cork, Dublin and Kerry are heading to Moscow next month to represent Ireland at the European Lady Junior Team Championship.
The Irish team is: Amy Duggan (Killarney), Maria Dunne (Skerries), Martina Gillen (Beaverstown), Suzie Hayes (Hermitage), Heather Nolan (Shannon) and Gillian O'Leary ( Cork ). "The team is playing well and we have the added bonus of having Martina Gillen with us. Martina represented Ireland in this event in 1998 and 2000," said team captain Lillian Starrett from Cairndhu.
"While we will be competing against strong opposition, I am confident that this young team can and will finish in the top eight."
The Irish are one of 15 European teams competing in this five-day event which takes place from the 9th to the 13th of July at the Moscow Golf and Country Club.
This competition, which is held every two years, includes 36-hole strokeplay on the first two days and a series of round robin competitions over the remaining three days. There will be two foursomes matches each morning and five singles matches each afternoon.
Non travelling reserves are Michelle Holmes (Enniscrone), Sinead O'Sullivan ( Galway ) and Jill McAuley (Dunmurry), and the manager is Charlotte Crowe of Tipperary Golf Club.
"It is a wonderful experience for these young golfers," said ILGU secretary Theresa Thompson.
Meanwhile, the cream of the youths will be at Seapoint on Thursday and Friday for the Irish Youths' Championship.
The field includes Alaistir McKinley (Shandon Park), the winner of the Ulster and Connacht titles this year, Conor Doran (Banbridge), who edged out Greg Massey (Hermitage) in a closely fought Leinster championship at Stackstown and Mark O'Sullivan from Galway.
Robert McCarthy from The Island and Darren Crowe (Royal Dublin) are others who will feel they can lift the title. Crowe finished second in the East of Ireland to Portmarnock's Noel Fox at Co Louth with McCarthy third while last week in Carlow, McCarthy gave a highly impressive performance in reaching the last eight in the Close with a notable 2 and 1 win over Fox in the third round.
