Golf Irish Women's Close ChampionshipCork's Claire Coughlan took a major stride at Donegal Golf Club yesterday to retaining the Leitrim Cup, when she posted the best score of the day in the first qualifying round for the Lancome Irish Women's Close Championship.
Coughlan, winner of the championship in 1999, carded an excellent two-under-par 73 to be one shot ahead of Karen Delaney and three in front of Beaverstown's Martina Gillen with Ulster Champion Helen Jones next on 77.
The two-handicapper from Little Island breezed off by chipping to four feet for birdie at the long first hole but gave the shot back at the second. But she was on her way after an eagle at the long fourth where she rolled in a 20 footer after hitting the green with a drive and four iron.
From there she went birdie-birdie, getting down from 15 feet after a nine iron off the tee at the fifth and chipped to eight feet for a four at the next.
Bogeys followed at the seventh and eighth holes but she stormed home in two-under-par with back-to-back birdies at the par four 10th, and the long 11th where she hit the green, 25 feet from the flag, with a drive and seven wood before two-putting.
"I'm showing my best form in six months," smiled the 23-year-old plus-two handicapper. "I shot a four-under-par at Muskerry and I'm very pleased with this opening score. I have never been this far up the left side of Ireland before."
Teenage two-handicapper Karen Delaney, the reigning Irish, Ulster Girls' champion and the Midlands' champion, was also celebrating.
"Things are going great just now. I have finished my Leaving Certificate at Gael Coláiste in Carlow and have got the good news about the scholarship to Kent State University in Ohio. I'm also pleased with my 74," said Karen.
It's only her second time to play in the tournament and yesterday, on the tough Murvagh track, she was hitting the ball mighty long. She handed in a three-birdie round after chipping to five feet for a four at the sixth hole, rifling a five iron to two feet for a three at the seventh and leaving her four iron approach to the long 11th 20 feet from the pin.
Conditions were ideal at Murvagh yesterday with the peninsula course looking its very best but many players didn't make hay in the bright sunshine.
Senior international Gillen, already a student at Kent State University in Ohio, nipped into third spot at the end of the day with a one-over 76.
The Beaverstown member birdied the fourth and ninth holes from 10 feet, got up-and-down for birdie at the 11th, holed an eight-footer at the 15th and made her fifth birdie from four feet at 18th.
