Mehaffey and Ryan in Curtis Cup frame after Helen Holm fireworks
Olivia Mehaffey, pictured on route to retaining the Irish Girls Open Strokeplay, closed with a brilliant 68 to finish third in the Helen Holm Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship. Picture Pat Cashman / cashmanphotography.ie
Olivia Mehaffey closed with a best-of-the-day 68 to claim third place with Castletroy's Chloe Ryan a super fourth in the Helen Holm Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship at Royal Troon.
With world No 6 Stephanie Meadow the only Irish certainty for the Curtis Cup, the Irish pair join Lisburn's Paula Grant as potential picks for the side to do battle with the Americans at St Louis Country Club from June 6-8.
Scores — Helen Holm Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship Web | PDF
The top 4 players on World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) will gain automatic selection along with the top two players on the LGU Order of Merit not already selected from the world ranking. The selectors then added two picks after next week's Welsh Ladies Open Strokeplay at Prestatyn Golf Club with the team announced on May 6.
Grant, who closed with a level par 75 to finish tied 17th behind wire-to-wire winner Annabel Dimmock of England at Royal Troon, was fourth in the LGU Order of Merit heading to Scotland and it now remains to be seen where Mehaffey and Ryan find themselves after this weekend's action.
Castletroy's Chloe Ryan during last year's Interpros. Picture Pat Cashman / cashmanphotography.ie
As Dimmock closed with a two under 73 on the Old Course at Royal Troon to win by three shots on 11 under par from Scotland's Connie Jaffray, Mehaffey scorched up the leaderboard to finish six behind in solo third after blasting five birdies and an eagle three in a seven under par closing round.
That it was the best score of the final day by three strokes says it all about the quality of the performance by Royal County Down Ladies' star.
Ryan, who was sixth in the LGU Order of Merit starting the week, did brilliantly to shoot a one-under 74 after following a birdie at the second with a quadruple bogey nine at the fourth.
After going to the turn in 40, she stormed home in 34 with birdies at the 11th, 13th and 15th and an eagle three at the 12th. Her only mistake a bogey six at the 16th as she came home tied for fourth on four under par.
Lahinch's Sinead Sexton finished tied seventh on one under after a 77 with Moate's Amy Farrell (73) tied for 17th on one-over with Grant (73) and Skerries' Maria Dunne (75).
Seapoint's Carla Reynolds, who did well to make the cut on six over after rounds of 77 and 79 after suffering from a virus for the past fortnight, was forced to withdraw after four holes on Sunday.