Irish Golf Desk

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Girl power - sensational teen Mehaffey makes cut on tour

Olivia Mehaffey, pictured during the first round of the Lalla Meryem Cup, Golf De L'Ocean D'Agadir, Morocco. Credit: Tristan Jones/LadiesEuropeanTour.com

Irish Girls champion Olivia Mehaffey bravely rapped in a slick six footer for par at the last to make the cut on the mark in the Ladies European Tour's Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco.

The 16-year old became the youngest Irish player to make the weekend in a LET event since the Maguire twins in 2010 when she shot rounds of 72 and 73 to edge through on the three over limit.

The Royal County Down Ladies star, who earned an invitation to the event thanks to her Faldo Series Ireland victory last year, made an early birdie three at the fourth but then bogeyed the fifth, eighth, ninth and 10th to slip to four over par. 

But a birdie four at the 11th followed by six straight pars left her needing a par at the 18th to make the weekend and she pulled it off by holing a tricky putt.

"I was calm," said Mehaffey, who has enjoyed the experience so much she is now convinced that her future may lie in the professional ranks.

"I just tried to make some birdies and then on the last I holed a six-foot downhill putt for par — I knew I needed that.

"My caddie told me to aim outside left but I went inside left half firm."

The putt dropped and Olivia is simply looking forward to picking up as much experience as possible over the last two rounds.

Olivia Mehaffey, pictured during the first round of the Lalla Meryem Cup. Credit: Tristan Jones/LadiesEuropeanTour.com

"It's been amazing, such a great week already," she said. "The amount of experience I have gained and also the things the pros have taught me has been class.

"I just want to gain some experience and enjoy myself over the weekend. Hopefully I should learn some more. It's taught me that this is what I want to do."

Carlow's Rebecca Codd added a level par 71 to her opening 69 to go into the weekend tied for 14th on two under par —  just six strokes behind defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand.

Lisa and Leona Maguire were 15 years and eight months when they made the cut in the 2010 Ladies Irish Open but Mehaffey's achievement is huge and should prove to be a massive boost to her confidence as she prepares for the amateur season.

She wasn't the old amateur to shine, however.

Jutanugarn fired a bogey-free five-under-par 66 to grab a two-stroke lead over 15-year-old French amateur Mathilda Cappeliez, who had a tournament low seven-under 64, and Germany’s Nina Holleder (68).

Defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand. Credit: Tristan Jones/LadiesEuropeanTour.com

Cappeliez, who is  from Evian-les-Bains and a member at the Evian Resort Course, had five birdies and an eagle on a flawless score card.

“It was an amazing day,” said Cappeliez, who is playing in her second professional tournament following an LET debut at the 2013 Lacoste Ladies Open de France, where she missed the cut.

“I putted really well with no bogeys on the card, so it was easier to make a good score. My game was nice, always on the green. My game was really good.

“After the first nine I was minus two and just a little bit nervous, but after the birdie, eagle and birdie on 10, 11, 12 I was trying to make pars. I think my game was like the pros so it made me feel secure.”

Lalla Meryem Cup (after 36 holes)

134 - Ariya Jutanugarn (THA)  68 66

136 - Nina Holleder (GER)  68 68, Mathilda Cappeliez (FRA)  72 64

137 - Sophie Walker (ENG)  66 71, Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA)  67 70, Laura Davies (ENG)  68 69, Gwladys Nocera (FRA)  69 68

138 - Lee-Anne Pace (RSA)  70 68, Rebecca Hudson (ENG)  66 72, Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ)  69 69

139 - Margherita Rigon (ITA)  69 70, Trish Johnson (ENG)  72 67, Charley Hull (ENG)  68 71

140 - Diana Luna (ITA)  70 70, Beth Allen (USA)  69 71, Holly Clyburn (ENG)  70 70, Stephanie Na (AUS)  72 68, Rebecca Codd (IRL)  69 71

141 - Liz Young (ENG)  72 69, Fiona Puyo (FRA)  72 69, Vikki Laing (SCO)  70 71, Jing Yan (CHN)  68 73, Karolin Lampert (GER)  69 72, Heather Macrae (SCO)  73 68, Linda Wessberg (SWE)  71 70

142 - Florentyna Parker (ENG)  73 69, Mireia Prat (ESP)  74 68, Maria Salinas (PER)  71 71, Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA)  71 71, Marta Silva Zamora (ESP)  73 69, Adriana Brent (AUS)  69 73, Cathryn Bristow (NZL)  71 71, Celine Herbin (FRA)  71 71, Titiya Plucksataporn (THA)  72 70

143 - Miriam Nagl (GER)  75 68, Ariane Provot (FRA)  72 71, Sophie Sandolo (ITA)  71 72, Sally Watson (SCO)  72 71, Stefania Croce (ITA)  72 71, Melanie Maetzler (SUI)  75 68, Maria Balikoeva (RUS)  71 72, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR)  73 70, Klara Spilkova (CZE)  74 69, Valentine Derrey (FRA)  71 72, Becky Brewerton (WAL)  71 72, Hannah Burke (ENG)  73 70, Nontaya Srisawang (THA)  73 70, Charlotte Thompson (ENG)  71 72

144 - Jade Schaeffer (FRA)  73 71, Marion Ricordeau (FRA)  72 72, Joanna Klatten (FRA)  72 72, Alison Whitaker (AUS)  72 72, Caroline Afonso (FRA)  70 74, Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN)  71 73, Noora Tamminen (FIN)  74 70, Chloe Leurquin (BEL)  74 70, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM)  71 73, Kim Williams (RSA)  74 70, Ursula Wikstrom (FIN)  72 72

145 - Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER)  72 73, Carin Koch (SWE)  70 75, Elina Nummenpaa (FIN)  73 72, Mallory Fraiche (USA)  70 75, Olivia Mehaffey (IRL)  72 73, Kylie Walker (SCO)  71 74, Lauren Taylor (ENG)  72 73, Pamela Feggans (SCO)  74 71

Missed the cut

146 - Stacey Keating (AUS)  70 76, Louise Larsson (SWE)  76 70, Sharmila Nicollet (IND)  70 76, Viva Schlasberg (SWE)  73 73, Virginia Espejo (ESP)  74 72, Sarah Kemp (AUS)  76 70, Steffi Kirchmayr (GER)  73 73, Lucy Williams (ENG)  74 72, Victoria Lovelady (BRA)  76 70, Camilla Lennarth (SWE)  72 74, Patricia Sanz Barrio (ESP)  73 73

147 - Isabelle Boineau (FRA)  77 70, Julia Davidsson (SWE)  73 74, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA)  75 72, Katie Burnett (USA)  72 75, Felicity Johnson (ENG)  74 73, Ainil Bakar (MYS)  77 70, Rebecca Sorensen (SWE)  72 75, Malene Jorgensen (DEN)  73 74

148 - Neha Tripathi (IND)  77 71, Elisabetta Bertini (ITA)  74 74, Emily Taylor (ENG)  74 74, Lucie Andre (FRA)  72 76, Holly Aitchison (ENG)  78 70, Amy Boulden (WAL)  75 73, Tania Elosegui (ESP)  75 73, Connie Chen (RSA)  74 74

149 - Carly Booth (SCO)  76 73, Krista Bakker (FIN)  74 75, Veronica Zorzi (ITA)  76 73, Henni Zuel (ENG)  77 72, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA)  78 71, Mia Piccio (PHL)  75 74, Alexandra Vilatte (FRA)  76 73, Minea Blomqvist (FIN)  74 75

150 - Sophie Gustafson (SWE)  74 76, Stefania Avanzo (ITA)  74 76, Melodie Bourdy (FRA)  73 77, Maha Haddioui (MAR)  77 73, Laura Jansone (LVA)  74 76

151 - Hannah Ralph (ENG)  77 74, Nicole Garcia (RSA)  76 75, Eleanor Givens (ENG)  77 74, Georgina Simpson (ENG)  74 77, Isabell Gabsa (GER)  76 75, Fabienne In-albon (SUI)  76 75

152 - Christine Wolf (AUT)  77 75, Anais Maggetti (SUI)  73 79

153 - Julie Tvede (DEN)  79 74, Leigh Whittaker (GER)  71 82

154 - Kelsey Macdonald (SCO)  78 76, Maggie Yuan (AUS)  79 75, Sahra Hassan (WAL)  79 75

155 - Caroline Martens (NOR)  81 74, Pamela Pretswell (SCO)  79 76

156 - Daniela Prorokova (CZE)  78 78

157 - Josephine Janson (SWE)  80 77

160 - Ana Larraneta (ESP)  79 81

162 - Nina Muehl (AUT)  77 85