Arklow awaits Irish Senior Women's Open Stroke Play

Winner Marilyn Henderson (Royal Belfast) is congratulated by her caddy, husband Gordon, after holing her final putt on the 18th green in the 2015 Irish Senior Women's Open Strokeplay. Picture by Pat Cashman

Royal Belfast's Marilyn Henderson will be at Arklow next Wednesday to begin her defence of the  Irish Senior Women’s Open Stroke Play Championship.

A Rosslare last year, she finished two shots clear of Mallow's Mary Dowling,  2014 Senior’s Open Stroke Play champion Minna Kaarnalahti from Finland and the Island's Gertie McMullen, who has won the Irish Senior Close Championship for the past two years

Title favourites McMullen and Kaarnalahti will get the championship underway at 8.30am next Wednesday with Dowling, Portumna's Suzanne Corcoran, Donabate's Pat Doran, Royal Portrush's Mary MacLaren and Grange's Sheena McElroy hot on their heels.

McMullen, Corcoran and McElroy are also all members of the Irish team who this week are competing at the Senior European Team Championships in Poland. 

There are a host of Nations represented in the popular Irish Senior event, including Canada, England, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, the USA, Scotland and South Africa.

After stroke play rounds on Wednesday and Thursday, the field will cut to the top forty for the final round on Friday.

With over half of the field hailing from Ireland, they will be keen to impress the Irish Selectors ahead of the announcement of the National team to play the Senior Home International Matches at Alyth, Scotland.

With complimentary entry and car parking for spectators, visitors to Arklow are most welcome.

Tee Times – Wednesday 7 September

1. 08:30 Minna Kaarnalahti (FIN), Gertie McMullen (The Island)
2. 08:40 Suzanne Corcoran (Portumna), Becky Neal (USA)
3. 08:50 Mary Dowling (Mallow), Pat Doran (Donabate), Alison Murdoch (CAN)
4. 09:00 Mary MacLaren (Royal Portrush), Sheena McElroy (Grange), Leslie Henry (USA)
5. 09:10 Emer Kirwan (Killiney), Maria O'Reilly (Headfort), Diane Dolan (USA)  
6. 09:20 Marilyn Henderson (Royal Belfast), Maragret McAuliffe (Ballybunion), Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire) 
7. 09:30 Ada Vrolijk (NED), Anne Ferguson (Royal County Down Ladies), Sonja Bland (RSA)
8. 09:40 Catherine Reilly (The Heath), Pauline Walsh (Headfort), Cornelia Fischer (GER) 
9. 09:50 Clodagh Hopkins (Woodbrook), Ruth Maguire (Corrstown), Pamela Williamson (SCO) 
10. 10:00 Siobhan O'Herlihy (Muskerry), Vivienne Houston (City of Derry), Marie Sudway (Old Conna) 
11. 10:10 Diane Williams (CAN), Valerie Shannon (Lahinch), Irene Brien (ENG)
12. 10:30 Maragret Campion (Killarney), Valerie Hassett (Ennis), Wanda Mochtar (NED)
13. 10:40 Susan Gilmore (Ballybunion), Mairead Cronin (Stackstown), Aingeal DeBurca (ENG)
14. 10:50 Paula Murray (Naas), Mai Tan (Dun Laoghaire), Melissa Gotfredson (USA)
15. 11:00 Vonny Kelly (Powerscourt), Honoria Fogarty (Castlecomer), Iet Hagels (NED)
16. 11:10 Rose Merriman (Clane), Michelle Dempsey (Charlesland), Judy Collins (CAN)
17. 11:20 Margaret Worrall (Charlesland), Pauline Darcy (Arklow), Manja Reef (NED)
18. 11:30 Marion Kennedy-Hogan (Ballybunion), Siobhan McGrath (Athlone), Ellen Ivory (Arklow)
19. 11:40 Elizabeth Neville (Bearna), Marijn Ferguson (NED), Patricia Nolan (Arklow)
20. 11:50 Ruth Farrell (Woodbrook), Eileen Kenny Ryan (Ballybunion), Linda Ward (Royal Co. Down Ladies)
21. 12:00 Mary O'Donoghue (Ballybunion), Sheila Crosbie (Rosslare), Anne Marie Carroll (Ballybunion)
22. 12:10 Marita Byrne (Bunclody), Margaret Furlong (Castlecomer), Josephine Moran (Castletroy)

Tee Times – Thursday 8 September

1. 08:30 Wanda Mochtar (NED), Mairead Cronin (Stackstown)
2. 08:40 Susan Gilmore (Ballybunion), Mai Tan (Dun Laoghaire)
3. 08:50 Aingeal DeBurca (ENG), Paula Murray (Naas), Honoria Fogarty (Castlecomer)  
4. 09:00 Melissa Gotfredson (USA), Vonny Kelly (Powerscourt), Michelle Dempsey (Charlesland) 
5. 09:10 Iet Hagels (NED), Rose Merriman (Clane), Pauline Darcy (Arklow)  
6. 09:20 Judy Collins (CAN), Siobhan McGrath (Athlone), Manja Reef (NED) 
7. 09:30 Margaret Worrall (Charlesland), Marion Kennedy-Hogan (Ballybunion), Elizabeth Neville (Bearna) 
8. 09:40 Marijn Ferguson (NED), Ellen Ivory (Arklow), Eileen Kenny Ryan (Ballybunion) 
9. 09:50 Patricia Nolan (Arklow), Ruth Farrell (Woodbrook), Mary O'Donoghue (Ballybunion) 
10. 10:00 Linda Ward (Royal Co. Down Ladies), Marita Byrne (Bunclody), Anne Marie Carroll (Ballybunion) 
11. 10:10 Margaret Furlong (Castlecomer), Josephine Moran (Castletroy), Sheila Crosbie (Rosslare)
12. 10:30 Minna Kaarnalahti (FIN), Suzanne Corcoran (Portumna), Becky Neal (USA) 
13. 10:40 Gertie McMullen (The Island), Mary Dowling (Mallow), Pat Doran (Donabate)  
14. 10:50 Maria O'Reilly (Headfort), Alison Murdoch (CAN), Sheena McElroy (Grange) 
15. 11:00 Mary MacLaren (Royal Portrush), Leslie Henry (USA), Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire) 
16. 11:10 Emer Kirwan (Killiney), Diane Dolan (USA), Maragret McAuliffe (Ballybunion)  
17. 11:20 Marilyn Henderson (Royal Belfast), Catherine Reilly (The Heath), Sonja Bland (RSA) 
18. 11:30 Ada Vrolijk (NED), Anne Ferguson (Royal County Down Ladies), Pauline Walsh (Headfort)
19. 11:40 Vivienne Houston (City of Derry), Cornelia Fischer (GER), Ruth Maguire (Corrstown) 
20. 11:50 Clodagh Hopkins (Woodbrook), Pamela Williamson (SCO), Irene Brien (ENG) 
21. 12:00 Siobhan O'Herlihy (Muskerry), Marie Sudway (Old Conna), Valerie Shannon (Lahinch) 
22. 12:10 Diane Williams (CAN), Maragret Campion (Killarney), Valerie Hassett (Ennis)