Mary Dowling will be hoping for better luck against a Maguire twin the second time around when she takes on Leona in the final of the Lancome Irish Women’s Close at Portstewart.

The New Ross player went down by 5 and 4 to Leona’s twin sister Lisa at Fota Island last year but the defending champion went down 3 and 1 to Maura Morrin, who eagled the 17th to clinch her place in the semi-finals.

Dowling was too strong for Morrin, however, winning 2 and 1 to continue an run of excellent form that has see her capture the Cork Scratch Cup and runner-up honours in the Munster Championship.

She will have her work cut out against Leona Maguire, who survived a scare to beat Royal Portrush’s Charlene Reid on the 18th in the quarter-finals.

With Reid safely on the 18th green, Leona made a spectacular up and down from greenside sand to save par and looked on as her shocked opponent three-putted.

In the semi-finals, Leona was all square with Malone’s Louise Coffey through 14 holes but birdied the 15th and 16th to go two up before closing out a 3 and 1 win with a par at the 17th.

Holywood’s Jessica Carty won the the Ita Wallace Trophy (Plate) when she defeated Enniscrone’s Sarah Helly by two holes. 

Carty was two up after two but lost the third and fourth to pars and the fifth to a birdie to slip one hole behind.

The match was level through the turn before Carty played the back nine in one-over par, clinching a two hole victory with a win on the last.

FINAL - Wednesday 26th May

10:00 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) -v- Mary Dowling (New Ross)

SEMI FINALS 
Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) bt Louise Coffey (Malone) 3&1
Mary Dowling (New Ross) bt Maura Dowling (Royal Portrush) 2&1

QUARTER FINALS 
Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) bt Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) 1up
Louise Coffey (Malone) bt Karen Delaney (Carlow) 4&3
Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush) bt Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) 3&1
Mary Dowling (New Ross) bt Jenny Gannon (Co. Louth) 4&3


Ita Wallace Trophy (Plate) Tuesday 25 May

Final Jessica Carty (Holywood) bt Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) 2up

Semi Finals
Jessica Carty (Holywood) bt Caroline Murphy (Grange) on 19th 
Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) bt Lisa McMeekin (Massereene) 4&3