Meadow faces Mehaffey in Close encounter
Topping the qualifiers usually guarantees an accessible first round opponent but world amater No 7 Stephanie Meadow won’t be relishing her clash with Irish Girls Strokeplay champion Olivia Mehaffey in the Irish Women’s Close at Ballybunion on Friday.
The pair were named on the respective junior and senior GB&I Vagliano Trophy teams last week but as 16-year old Mehaffey followed an opening 88 with a 82 to make the 32 qualifiers on countback, US-based Meadow added a blistering six under 67 to her opening 72 to top the qualifiers by five shots on seven under par 139.
The Royal Portrush star birdied the fifth, eighth and ninth to go out in 35 and then came home in 32 birdies at the 11th, 12th, 14th and 16th against a lone bogey at the 203-yard 15th.
Chloe Ryan was the model of consistency with rounds of 71 and 73. Her 36 hole total of 144 included seven birdies and an eagle. She also succumbed to the tough 15th with a treble bogey six.
Championship Draw
09:42 Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush) v Olivia Mehaffey (RCD Ladies)
09:51 Karen Delaney (Carlow) v Sinead Sexton (Lahinch)
10:00 Maria Dunne (Skerries) v Niamh McSherry (Lurgan)
10:09 Patrice Delaney (Birr) v Carla Reynolds (Seapoint)
10:18 Amy Farrell (Moate) v Sarah Helly (Enniscrone)
10:27 Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park) v Mary Doyle (The Heath)
10:36 Jessica Ross (Donaghadee) v Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell)
10:45 Holly Robinson (Co. Sligo v Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell)
10:54 Lucy Simpson (Massereene) v Pat Doran (Donabate)
11:03 Hannah Henderson (Ballyclare) v Carol Wickham (Laytown & Bettystown)
11:12 Emma O’Driscoll (Ballybunion) v Jessica Carty (Holywood)
11:21 Grace McGrath (East Cork) v Mary Dowling (New Ross)
11:30 Louise Coffey (Malone) v Laura Doherty (Howth)
11:39 Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) v Paula Grant (Lisburn)
11:48 Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) v Gillian O’Leary (The Island)
11:57 Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) v Chloe Ryan (Castletroy)
Ita Wallace Draw (Plate)
08:30 Mary Sheehy (Tralee) v Jackie Kavanagh (Wicklow)
08:39 Lisa O’Shea (Shannon) v Róisín Brady (Co. Louth)
08:48 Nicky King (Woodbrook v Orla Barry (Galway)
08:57 Chloe Weir (Shandon Park v Aoife Lowry (Tipperary)
09:06 Jenny Maguire (Foxrock) v Claire Keating (Killarney)
09:15 Louise Hanratty (Mannan Castle) v Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel)
09:24 Shannon Heerey (Headfort) v Rachel Taylor (Laytown & Bettystown)
09:33 Patricia Joyce (Ballybunion) v Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe)
Qualifying Results CSS Rd1 76, Rd 77
139 Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush) 72 67
144 Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) 71 73
146 Lucy Simpson (Massereene) 74 72
149 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 74 75
149 Amy Farrell (Moate) 73 76
152 Mary Dowling (New Ross) 74 78
153 Louise Coffey (Malone) 74 79
154 Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) 77 77
154 Maria Dunne (Skerries) 76 78
155 Paula Grant (Lisburn) 78 77
156 Emma O’Driscoll (Ballybunion) 79 77
156 Mary Doyle (The Heath) 71 85
158 Jessica Ross (Donaghadee) 77 81
160 Carol Wickham (Laytown & Bettystown) 79 81
160 Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) 75 85
161 Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) 81 80
161 Karen Delaney (Carlow) 79 82
161 Gillian O’Leary (The Island) 76 85
162 Hannah Henderson (Ballyclare) 79 83
163 Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) 86 77
163 Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park) 84 79
163 Jessica Carty (Holywood) 78 85
166 Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) 84 82
166 Niamh McSherry (Lurgan) 81 85
167 Patrice Delaney (Birr) 86 81
167 Laura Doherty (Howth) 82 85
167 Grace McGrath (East Cork) 80 87
167 Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) 78 89
168 Holly Robinson (Co. Sligo 83 85
168 Pat Doran (Donabate) 81 87
170 Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) 89 81
170 Olivia Mehaffey (RCD Ladies) 88 82
Ita Wallace (Plate)
170 Kelsey Coey (Clandeboye) 87 83 - not available for match play
170 Mary Sheehy (Tralee) 87 83
170 Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe) 85 85
172 Jenny Maguire (Foxrock) 84 88
172 Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) 83 89
173 Nicky King (Woodbrook 86 87
173 Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel) 81 92
174 Shannon Heerey (Headfort) 93 81
174 Róisín Brady (Co. Louth) 90 84
174 Lisa O’Shea (Shannon) 83 91
175 Rachel Taylor (Laytown & Bettystown) 92 83
175 Louise Hanratty (Mannan Castle) 88 87
176 Orla Barry (Galway) 91 85
177 Chloe Weir (Shandon Park 93 84
177 Claire Keating (Killarney) 92 85
177 Patricia Joyce (Ballybunion) 89 88
177 Jackie Kavanagh (Wicklow) 82 95
Missed Cut
178 Ailish Thompson (Cork) 91 87
178 Pamela Morgan (Lahinch) 87 91
180 Mairead Martin (Killarney) 88 92
181 Roisin Collins (Black Bush) 90 91
182 Caitriona Griffin (Killarney) 92 90
184 Margaret Hayes (Tralee) 94 90
184 Lynda Maher (Doneraile) 88 96
185 Valerie Shannon (Lahinch) 96 89
186 Katie Aherne (Waterford Castle) 95 91
186 Eileen Kenny Ryan (Ballybunion) 94 92
187 Mary O’Donoghue (Ballybunion) 95 92
189 Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little) 95 94
189 Judithe Allen (Ballyclare) 93 96
190 Clíodhna McCarthy (Stackstown) 96 94
190 Rosemary Kavanagh (Wicklow) 85 105
191 Mary Geaney (Killarney) 98 93
192 Anne Marie Carroll (Ballybunion) 92 100
193 Linda Cole-McKenna (Woodbrook) 101 92
193 Valerie Hassett (Ennis) 98 95
193 Ruth Maguire (Corrstown) 96 97
196 Margaret McAuliffe (Ballybunion) 102 94
196 Julie Barkman (Nenagh) 99 97
200 Aisling Parker (Greenore) 102 98
203 Siobhan O’Mahony (Mitchelstown) 96 107
205 Clare O’Carroll (Woodbrook) 101 104
208 Siobhan O’Connor (Gort) 109 99
208 Siobhan Forde (Gort) 106 102
215 Eileen Healy (Macroom) 105 110
215 Maura Hanrahan (Gort) 98 117
Áedín Murphy (Carlow) rtd
Marion Sweeney (Youghal) 101 NR
Eileen Coleman (Doneraile) 106 NR
First round
71 Mary Doyle (The Heath) Chloe Ryan (Castletroy)
72 Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush)
73 Amy Farrell (Moate)
74 Lucy Simpson (Massereene) Mary Dowling (New Ross) Louise Coffey (Malone) Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell)
75 Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth)
76 Gillian O’Leary (The Island) Maria Dunne (Skerries)
77 Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) Jessica Ross (Donaghadee)
78 Jessica Carty (Holywood) Paula Grant (Lisburn) Sarah Helly (Enniscrone)
79 Hannah Henderson (Ballyclare) Carol Wickham (Laytown & Bettystown) Karen Delaney (Carlow) Emma O’Driscoll (Ballybunion)
80 Grace McGrath (East Cork)
81 Pat Doran (Donabate) Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel) Niamh McSherry (Lurgan) Sinead Sexton (Lahinch)
82 Jackie Kavanagh (Wicklow) Laura Doherty (Howth)
83 Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) Lisa O’Shea (Shannon) Holly Robinson (Co. Sligo
84 Jenny Maguire (Foxrock) Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park)
85 Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe) Rosemary Kavanagh (Wicklow)
86 Nicky King (Woodbrook Patrice Delaney (Birr)
86 Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell)
87 Pamela Morgan (Lahinch) Kelsey Coey (Clandeboye) Mary Sheehy (Tralee)
88 Louise Hanratty (Mannan Castle) Mairead Martin (Killarney) Lynda Maher (Doneraile) Olivia Mehaffey (RCD Ladies)
89 Patricia Joyce (Ballybunion) Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor)
90 Róisín Brady (Co. Louth) Roisin Collins (Black Bush)
91 Orla Barry (Galway) Ailish Thompson (Cork)
92 Anne Marie Carroll (Ballybunion) Rachel Taylor (Laytown & Bettystown) Caitriona Griffin (Killarney) Claire Keating (Killarney)
93 Judithe Allen (Ballyclare) Shannon Heerey (Headfort) Chloe Weir (Shandon Park
94 Eileen Kenny Ryan (Ballybunion) Margaret Hayes (Tralee)
95 Katie Aherne (Waterford Castle) Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little) Mary O’Donoghue (Ballybunion)
96 Clíodhna McCarthy (Stackstown) Siobhan O’Mahony (Mitchelstown) Ruth Maguire (Corrstown) Valerie Shannon (Lahinch)
98 Mary Geaney (Killarney) Maura Hanrahan (Gort) Valerie Hassett (Ennis)
99 Julie Barkman (Nenagh)
101 Linda Cole-McKenna (Woodbrook) Clare O’Carroll (Woodbrook) Marion Sweeney (Youghal)
102 Margaret McAuliffe (Ballybunion) Aisling Parker (Greenore)
105 Eileen Healy (Macroom)
106 Eileen Coleman (Doneraile) Siobhan Forde (Gort)
109 Siobhan O’Connor (Gort)
Rtd Áedín Murphy (Carlow)