IRISH WOMEN'S CLOSE: Lisa Maguire, the 13-year-old twin from the Slieve Russell club, won the Leitrim Cup as leading qualifier in the Lancôme Irish Women's Close Championship at Westport GG yesterday with an impressive 150 for 36 holes and now faces Ann Geoghegan from Athlone in the first round this morning.
With a fresh and windy start at Westport, the first year student continued her devastating form with back to back birdies on the third and fourth to turn in one under par. Further birdies at the 15th and a chip in for birdie at the 18th saw her complete her level par round.
Maura Morrin from the Curragh continued her steady form, level par over the front nine followed by two bogies and a birdie on the back nine to finish one over par.
Lisa's twin sister Leona was the only player to finish under par on day two with a birdie at the first hole and level par thereafter.
Tournament favourite, Tara Delaney, just returned from Kent State University, finished in fourth place on 151 after rounds of 74 and 77. Tara's sister Karen, the defending champion, just made the cut on 166 after rounds of 87 and 79 and now faces Leona Maguire in today's first round.
BRABAZON TROPHY: Irish teenager Paul Cutler secured one of the most notable achievements of his fledgling career when finishing in joint third place in the rain-affected English Amateur Open Strokeplay championship for the Brabazon Trophy at Trevose in Cornwall yesterday.
And in doing so Portstewart star Cutler also tied with Tom Lewis of Welwyn Garden City for the Henriques Salver awarded to the best player under 20 from Britain and Ireland.
The former Boys international considered to have a bright future posted his second five-under-par 67 of the tournament for an aggregate of 12-under-par 204 for the curtailed 54-hole event.
Cutler finished seven strokes behind new champion Steven Uzzell from Hornsea in Yorkshire who won with four strokes to spare from Frenchman Benjamin Hebert.
Niall Kearney finished ninth on 208 after rounds of 70, 70 and 68.
US TOUR: Ryuji Imada form Japan won the ATT Classic at the TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Georgia, yesterday in a play-off with Kenny Perry.
After both players finished on 15-under-par 273 Imada won with a par at the first tie hole in the play-off.
While going for the green in two, Perry's approach hit a tree to the front right, bounced off, rolled off the green and into the water. Imada then opted to lay up.
Camilo Villegas from Columbia finished third on 274.
CHALLENGE TOUR: England's Seve Benson claimed his first European Challenge Tour win with a three stroke victory at the Piemonte Open in Italy yesterday to move into fifth place in the Order Of Merit.
Benson overcame illness for the second consecutive day to card a final round two-under-par 70 and hold off the challenge of Switzerland's Raphal De Sousa on the Royal Park Golf and Country Club in Torino.
The 21-year-old continued the fine form that saw him shoot a course record 10-under-par 62 in the third round by carding birdies on the second and third holes.
He dropped a shot on the sixth before another birdie on the eighth hole and a run of 10 pars saw him finish on 19-under-par 269 for the tournament.
De Sousa's challenge faltered with a double bogey on the 15th to allow Benson breathing space at the top of the leaderboard.
LPGA: Mexico's world number one Lorena Ochoa staged a successful defence of the Sybase Classic and claimed her sixth title of a dazzling season with a final round 71 at Montclair Country Club in Clifton, New Jersey.
In a tournament reduced to 54 holes after Friday's play was washed out, Ochoa finished on 10-under-par 206, one stroke ahead of a group of five players that included Scotland's Catriona Matthew.
