Girls' Close: Thompson, Rooney, Clancy and Martin make last four

Valerie Clancy (Killarney) pitching to the 18th green during her quarter final match at the 2017 Irish Girls' Close Championship at Mallow Golf Club (21/07/2017). Picture by Pat Cashman

Leading qualifier Rachel Thompson will face Co Sligo's Maeve Rooney as Valerie Clancy takes on Kanturk's Mairead Martin in the semi-finals of the Irish Girls' Close Championship at Mallow.

Five of the eight last 16 matches went to the 18th or into extra holes with Cork star Thompson and Sligo ace Rooney winning on the 19th as Clancy and Nicole Joyce Moreno from Llavaneras Barcelona won on the final green.
 
Castlewarden's Lauren Walsh, the Leinster Girls’ champion,  bowed out to Kirkistown CastleBeth Coulter on the in the last 16 but had no complaints despite going around in three under par.

She was ahead for most of the front nine but Coulter turned up the heat and fired four birdies and an eagle on the back nine to win the match by 1 hole. 

“It was such a good match, I can’t really be disappointed with the result," Walsh said. "I was three-under and got beaten on 18 so there’s nothing much you can do."

The weather closed in for the afternoon quarter-finals and conditions proved very difficult. 

Martin was the first to progress to the semi-finals, beating Spain's Nicole Joyce Moreno 4&3. 

Thompson beat Milltown's Georgia Carr on the 17th as Clancy held off Hermitage's Canice Screene on the 18th to win one up.

Canice Screene (Hermitage)

Canice Screene (Hermitage) willing her putt to drop on the 18th green during her quarter final match at the 2017 Irish Girls Close Championship at Mallow Golf Club today (21/07/2017). Picture by Pat Cashman

Rachel and Ailish Thompson (Cork)

Rachel Thompson (Cork) with her mother Ailish after winning her quarter final match on the 17th green at the 2017 Irish Girls Close Championship at Mallow Golf Club today (21/07/2017). Picture by Pat Cashman

Rachel Thompson (Cork)

Rachel Thompson (Cork) driving at the 13th tee in the final round of the 2017 Irish Girl's Open Strokeplay Championship at Roganstown Golf Club today (09/04/2017) Picture by Pat Cashman

Screene was two up with six to play but found herself one down on the 18th, where she failed to match Clancy's closing bogey.

The fourth quarter final match between Beth Coulter and Maeve Rooney went to the 19th when Coulter holed a six-foot birdie putt on the last to go through to play Clancy today.

Rooney birdied the 19th for her second win in extra holes on the day to set up a semi-final showdown with Thompson.

Sara Byrne (Douglas), Nicole McGavisk (Donabate), Leah Temple Lang and Jan Browne (Kilkenny) will compete in the semi-finals of the Plate. 

McGavisk overcame Munster Girls’ Interprovincial Niamh O’Dwyer while Byrne knocked out Connacht Girls' Chloe O’Connor. 

Irish Girls' Close Championship, Mallow 

Qualifying results
Matchplay draw - Championship
Matchplay draw - Plate

Semi Finals – Saturday 22 July

1. 08:10 Rachel Thompson v Maeve Rooney
2. 08:20 Valerie Clancy v Mairead Martin

Quarter Finals – Friday 21 July

1. Rachel Thompson beat Georgia Carr 2&1
2. Maeve Rooney beat Beth Coulter 19th
3. Valerie Clancy beat Canice Screene 1 hole
4. Mairead Martin beat Nicole Joyce Moreno 4&3

Last 16 – Friday 21 July

1. Rachel Thompson beat Emma Forbes 19th
2. Georgia Carr beat Anna Foster 5&4
3. Kate Lanigan lost to Maeve Rooney 19th
4. Lauren Walsh lost to Beth Coulter 1 hole
5. Valerie Clancy beat Kate Dwyer 1 hole
6. Canice Screene beat Ellen O’Gorman 7&6
7. Mairead Martin beat Ada Bowler 6&5
8. Maeve Cummins lost to Nicole Joyce Moreno 1 hole

Pat Fletcher Plate

Semi Final – Saturday 22 July

1. 07:50 Nicole McGavisk v Sara Byrne
2. 08:00 Leah Temple Lang v Jan Browne

Quarter Finals – Friday 21 July

1. Nicole McGavisk beat Niamh O’Dwyer 2&1
2. Chloe O’Connor lost to Sara Byrne 6&5
3. Leah Temple Lang beat Katie O’Hart 19th
4. Jan Browne beat Anna McVicker 1 hole

Round 1 – Friday 21 July

1. Olivia McClurg lost to Nicole McGavisk 3&1
2. Katie Keenan lost to Niamh O’Dwyer 2&1
3. Emily Walsh lost to Chloe O’Connor 4&2
4. Fiona Behan lost to Sara Byrne 19th
5. Shannon Hegarty lost to Leah Temple Lang 20th
6. Katie O’Hart beat Anna Dawson 3&1
7. Kaelin O’Keeffe lost to Jan Browne 2&1
8. Tegan Gordon lost to Anna McVicker 7&6

Round 1 – Thursday 20 July

1. Rachel Thompson (Cork) beat Olivia McClurg (Belvoir Park) 7&5
2. Emma Forbes (Royal Portrush) beat Nicole McGavisk (Donabate) 2 holes
3. Georgia Carr (Milltown) beat Katie Keenan (Kilkenny) 2&1
4. Anna Foster (Elm Park) beat Niamh O’Dwyer (Lahinch) 4&3
5. Kate Lanigan (Hermitage) beat Emily Walsh (Limerick) 4&3
6. Maeve Rooney (Co. Sligo) beat Chloe O’Connor (Roscommon) 3&2
7. Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) beat Fiona Behan (Killeen) 1 hole
8. Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) beat Sara Byrne (Douglas) 5&4
9. Valerie Clancy (Killarney) beat Shannon Hegarty (Ennis) 3&1
10. Kate Dwyer (Rossmore) beat Leah Temple Lang (Elm Park) 5&4
11. Katie O’Hart (Arklow) lost to Canice Screen (Hermitage) 1 hole
12. Ellen O’Gorman (Milltown) beat Anna Dawson (Tramore) 1 hole
13. Mairead Martin (Kanturk) beat Kaelin O’Keeffe (Tralee) 6&5
14. Ada Bowler (Lucan) beat Jan Browne (Kilkenny) 2&1
15. Maeve Cummins (Lurgan) beat Tegan Gordon (Laytown & Bettystown) 8&7
16. Nicole Joyce Moreno (Spain) beat Anna McVicker (Belvoir Park) 3&2.