Sara Byrne, Sarah Cunningham, Louise Coffey and Meadhbh Doyle are through to today's finals of the Irish Women's Close Championship following a marathon Monday at Enniscrone.
Five of the second round matches needed at least 18 holes to be decided and despite a strong start to her tournament, leading qualifier Valerie Clancy (Killarney) was defeated by Molly Dowling of Maynooth on the 17th hole.
Dowling went on to face Girls' International Sara Byrne from Douglas in the quarter-final who had needed 19 holes to decide her tie with Lucy Simpson earlier in the day. The 17-year-old continued her run of form and having got the better of Dowling now finds herself in her first Irish Close semi-final.
The experience of Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth), Cunningham (Ennis) and Coffey prevailed on the difficult links as they saw off Sinead Sexton (Lahinch), Kate Dwyer (Rossmore) and Jessica Ross (Clandeboye) in the morning matches. While Coffey (Malone) cruised to victory over Eleanor Metcalfe (Laytown & Bettystown) in the quarter-finals, Cunningham's hot streak in the middle of her round was too much for Smith to come back from and the Clare woman finished the match 2&1.
Meadhbh Doyle (Portarlington) and Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe), former Maynooth University teammates, became the fourth second round match to reach the 18th while the contest between Aine Donegan (Woodstock) and Maeve Cummins (Lurgan) followed shortly after. Both Doyle and Donegan prevailed meaning they would face each other in the quarter-final. Doyle found herself with a two-hole advantage after nine holes and by the 13th she had doubled that advantage and closed out the match 5&4.
The semi-finals begin at 8.30am this morning with the decider scheduled for 1.30pm. Elm Park's Leah Temple Lang, meanwhile, claimed the Ita Wallace Trophy, adding to her Plate victory at the Irish Girls' Close Championship in Mallow last year.
Results
Round 1
Valerie Clancy (Killarney) beat Chloe O'Connor (Roscommon) 4&3, Molly Dowling (Lucan) beat Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little) 3&2, Lucy Simpson (Royal Portrush) beat Georgia Carr (Milltown) 2up, Sara Byrne (Douglas) beat Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) 5&4, Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) beat Clodagh Coughlan (Douglas) 3&2, Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) beat Emma Fleming (Elm Park) 23rd, Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) lost to Kate Dwyer (Rossmore) 1up, Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) beat Kate Lanigan (Hermitage) 1up, Ciara Casey (Hermitage) lost to Jan Browne (Kilkenny) 2&1, Hilary Hall (Enniscrone) lost to Eleanor Metcalfe (Laytown & Bettystown) 2&1, Jessica Ross (Clandeboye) beat Katie O'Hart (Courtown) 2&1, Louise Coffey (Malone) beat Aoife Ní Thuama (Douglas) 2up, Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe) beat Alison Taylor (Malahide) 5&4, Meadhbh Doyle (Portarlington) beat Claire Staunton (Ballinasloe) 7&6, Aine Donegan (Woodstock) beat Anna Dawson (Tramore) 3&, Maeve Cummins (Lurgan) beat Rachel McDonnell (Elm Park) 19th
Round 2
Clancy lost to Dowling 3&1, Simpson lost to Byrne 19th, Smith beat Sexton 1up, Dwyer vs. Cunningham 2&1, Browne lost to Metcalfe 3&2, Ross lost to Coffey 1up, Burke lost to Doyle 1up, Donegan beat Cummins 2up
Quarter-Finals
Dowling lost to Byrne 3&2, Smith lost to Cunningham 2&1, Metcalfe lost Coffey 6&5, Doyle beat Donegan 5&4
Semi-Finals
8.30am: Byrne v Cunningham, 08:50 Coffey vs. Doyle
