Cream rises to top at Irish Women's Close
Sara Byrne (Douglas) during the Irish Women's Close Championship at Enniscrone Golf Club, Enniscrone, Co. Sligo, Ireland. 16/06/2018. Picture: Golffile | Fran Caffrey
Douglas' Sara Byrne beat Royal Portrush's Lucy Simpson and Lucan's Molly Dowling to set up a semi-final showdown with Ennis' Sarah Cunningham in the Irish Women's Close at Enniscrone.
The Junior Vagliano Trophy player (17) edged out Simpson at the 19th before clinching a 3 and 2 win over Dowling, who had beaten leading qualifier Valerie Clancy 3 and 1 in the morning.
Cunningham beat Rossmore's Kate Dwyer 2 and 1 in the last 16 before seeing off County Louth's Deirdre Smith 2 and 1 thanks to four wins around the turn.
Leah Temple Lang (Elm Park) winner of the Ita Wallace Trophy at the 2018 Irish Women's Close Championship at Enniscrone Golf Club. Picture: Golffile | Fran Caffrey
The winner of the Byrne-Cunningham clash will take on Malone's Louise Coffey or Portarlington's Meadhbh Doyle in Tuesday afternoon's final.
Coffey beat Clandeboye's Jessica Ross one up before proving too strong for Laytown & Bettystown's Eleanor Metcalfe in the quarter-finals, winning 6 and 5.
Doyle beat her former Maynooth University teammate Shannon Burke one up in the morning and Woodstock's Aine Donegan in the afternoon.
Elm Park's Leah Temple Lang added the Ita Wallace Trophy to her win in last year's Irish Girls’ Close Championship when she followed her wins over Una Marsden (Tullamore) and Anna Foster (Elm Park) with another over The Heath's Mary Doyle before defeating Grange's Elisa Corcoran 3 and 1 in the final.
Irish Women’s Close Championship, Enniscrone
Round One - Sunday, 17 June
- Valerie Clancy (Killarney) beat Chloe O’Connor (Roscommon) 4&3
- Molly Dowling (Lucan) beat Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little) 3&2
- Lucy Simpson (Royal Portrush) beat Georgia Carr (Milltown) 2 up
- Sara Byrne (Douglas) beat Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) 5&4
- Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) beat Clodagh Coughlan (Douglas) 3&2
- Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) beat Emma Fleming (Elm Park) 23rd
- Kate Dwyer (Rossmore) beat Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) 1 up
- Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) beat Kate Lanigan (Hermitage) 1 up
- Jan Browne (Kilkenny) beat Ciara Casey (Hermitage) 2&1
- Eleanor Metcalfe (Laytown & Bettystown) bt Hilary Hall (Enniscrone) 2&1
- Jessica Ross (Clandeboye) beat Katie O’Hart (Courtown) 2&1
- Louise Coffey (Malone) beat Aoife Ní Thuama (Douglas) 2 up
- Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe) beat Alison Taylor (Malahide) 5&4
- Meadhbh Doyle (Portarlington) beat Claire Staunton (Ballinasloe) 7&6
- Aine Donegan (Woodstock) beat Anna Dawson (Tramore) 3&2
- Maeve Cummins (Lurgan) beat Rachel McDonnell (Elm Park) 19th
Round Two – Monday, 18 June
- Molly Dowling (Lucan) beat Valerie Clancy (Killarney) 3&1
- Sara Byrne (Douglas) beat Lucy Simpson (Royal Portrush) 19th
- Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) beat Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) 1 up
- Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) beat Kate Dwyer (Rossmore) 2&1
- Eleanor Metcalfe (Laytown & Bettystown) beat Jan Browne (Kilkenny) 3&2
- Louise Coffey (Malone) beat Jessica Ross (Clandeboye) 1 up,
- Meadhbh Doyle (Portarlington) beat Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe) 1 up
- Aine Donegan (Woodstock) beat Maeve Cummins (Lurgan) 2 up
Quarter-finals — Monday, 18 June
- Byrne beat Dowling 3&2,
- Cunningham beat Smith 2&1
- Coffey beat Metcalfe 6&5,
- Doyle beat Donegan 5&4
Semi-Finals — Tuesday, 19 June
- 08:30 Byrne vs. Cunningham
- 08:50 Coffey vs. Doyle
Final — Tuesday 19 June at 13:30
Ita Wallace Trophy (Plate)
Round One - Sunday, 17 June
- Leah Temple Lang (Elm Park) beat Una Marsden (Tullamore) 4&2
- Anna Foster (Elm Park) beat Clodagh Walsh (Castlewarden) 3&2
- Mary Doyle (The Heath) beat Lauren Murray (Delgany) 2&1
- Jean O’Driscoll (Muskerry) beat Corrina Griffin (Killarney) 3&2
- Katie Poots (Knock) beat Emma Thorne (Elm Park) 2&1
- Lisa O’Shea (Shannon) beat Claire McGonagle (Portsalon) 3&2
- Sarah Burke (Mullingar) beat Emma Fenlon (Grange) 2&1
- Elisa Corcoran (Grange) beat Olivia McCrystal (Holywood) 8&6
Quarterfinals — Sunday, 17 June
- Temple Lang beat Foster 3&2
- Doyle beat O’Driscoll 3&2
- O’Shea beat Poots 2 holes
- Corcoran beat Burke 2&1
Semi-finals — Monday, 18 June
- Leah Temple Lang (Elm Park) beat Mary Doyle (The Heath)6&5,
- Elisa Corcoran (Grange) beat Lisa O’Shea (Shannon) 5&3
Final — Monday, 18 June
- Leah Temple Lang (Elm Park) beat Elisa Corcoran (Grange) 3&1
