GOLF: Women's Golf: The Mitsubishi Motors/Irish Times Ladies' Masters, writes Johnny Watterson at Mount Wolseley How they finished
Milltown golfer Gillian Dawson last week added the Mitsubishi Motors/Irish Times Ladies' Masters title to an ever-growing sporting curriculum vitae.
Most of the success in her career to date has been on the hockey pitch with Loreto in Dublin, but the 18 handicapper's 38 stableford points brought her a win at the splendid Mount Wolseley course in Tullow, Co Carlow.
She just shaded it from Mary Coman of Thurles Golf Club (36pts) and Geraldine Nolan from Mountrath, also on 36 points. Coman, playing off 15, nicked second place with a stronger back six holes.
The semi-finals had been played in more difficult conditions in Glasson, whereas Mount Wolseley in bright sunshine presented a wonderful test, if less of a physical challenge. The humid day made for good scoring, and course designer Christy O'Connor jnr was at hand with advice for the 30-player field as they played the 11th hole.
This year's champion, competing in this event for the first time, is used to winner's enclosures - she has Leinster Senior Cup, Leinster Senior League and Irish Senior Cup hockey medals already on her sideboard. The longest drive of the day also had a hockey link - former Ireland hockey goalkeeper Eileen McMullen belied her age (56) with a cracking drive straight up the 18th fairway.
It is the fourth successful year of the competition, which this year attracted around 800 entries from its three regions, Leinster, Munster and Connacht/Ulster. Following regional qualifying rounds the field was whittled down to the final 30 after the semi-finals three weeks ago.
"I found the going here a bit easier than Glasson because I didn't get into as much trouble," said the winner. "But the greens were fast and difficult and pretty undulating. Over all it was fantastic and it was great to have Christy on the 11th and to talk to him."
What the Milltown player, who has been playing golf for four years, two of them at Milltown, was too modest to say was that she was one of the very few to put her ball inside that of the former Ryder Cup player on her way to 21 points on the back nine.
"It was a great thrill on the 11th having a laugh and a joke with Christy. I thought I was going to smack my ball into the water. He said, 'whoever gets up there can have my ball'. So I got his ball and parred the next five holes."
It is the fourth year of the competition, which has drawn growing interest in almost every golf club in the country.
O'Connor suggested that the finals might be taken abroad next year, drawing widespread support for the idea.
Patrick J Murphy, the general manager of Mitsubishi Motors said: "It has been a pleasure co-sponsoring The Mitsubishi Motors/Irish Times Ladies' Masters 2002. The ladies who qualified for the both the semi-finals in Glasson and finals in Mount Wolseley were superb golfers, and gracious competitors.
"We hope to grow this competition both in terms of national participation and prestige in 2003. Watch this space !"
Final - 1st: Gillian Dawson (18), Milltown 38pts. 2nd: Mary Coman (15), Thurles 36pts (better back six); 3rd: Geraldine Nolan (21), Mountrath 36pts.
Longest Drive: Eileen McMullen, Bundoran; Nearest The Pin: Ber Clarson, Charleville; Back Nine: Maura Kenealy (18), 20pts; Front Nine: Kathleen Phelan (16), 20pts.
