Kate Lanigan clinches Irish Girls title in style
Kate Lanigan (Hermitage) driving at the 8th tee in the final match of the 2018 Irish Girls Close Championship at Clandeboye Golf Club. Picture by Pat Cashman
Hermitage's Kate Lanigan etched her name in the history books when she beat international teammate Valerie Clancy 6&5 to win the Irish Girls’ Close Championship at Clandeboye.
Lanigan beat 13-year old Emma Fleming from Elm Park 5&4 in the semi-finals as Clancy birdied the last to beat Woodstock's Aine Donegan by one hole.
Beaming beside her after the win, her father Brian pointed out that of 90 possible holes in the matchplay stages, Lanigan had only played 63 and was under par for all her matches.
She revealed that she was brimming with confidence after making her debut for Ireland in the European Girls Team Championship in Sweden the previous week.
"I gained so much experience and I just felt great coming into this event even though I was a bit tired given all of the golf I’ve played lately," Lanigan said.
"Valerie has so much experience and had taken me under her wing a small bit last week as it was my first time playing for Ireland at the level.
"I just focused on hitting fairways and greens and if the putts dropped, that was great. So I am very happy with how I played!"
Lahinch's Niamh O’Dwyer won the Plate title for the Pat Fletcher Trophy with a 3 and 2 win over Killarney's Corrina Griffin.
Griffin beat Roscommon’s Chloe O’Connor 3&1 in her semi-final but fell two down early on to O'Dwyer, who beat Elm Park's Emma Thorne 3&2 in the morning semis.
Irish Girls Amateur Close, Clandeboye
Round 1 – Thursday 19 July
- A Foster beat A Greham 2&1,
- R Gardner beat C Griffin 3&2,
- L Walsh beat S Hegarty 5&4,
- V Clancy beat O Hunt 3&2,
- A Donegan beat M O’Hara 2 Holes,
- O McClurg lost to L Temple Lang 4&3,
- S Byrne beat S McGuinness 5&4,
- C O’Connor lost to A Bowler 19th,
- C Screene beat N O’Dwyer 2&1,
- A Dawson lost to O McCrystal 4&3,
- B Coulter beat C Brennan 4&3,
- E Fleming beat J Browne 7&6,
- K Lanigan beat T McMillen 7&5,
- T Laverty lost to L Kelly 1 Hole,
- G Carr beat F Behan 3&2,
- E Thorne lost to K O’Hart 6&5
Last 16 - Friday 20 July
- A Foster beat R Gardner 1 Hole,
- L Walsh lost to V Clancy 6&5,
- A Donegan beat L Temple Lang 5&3,
- S Byrne lost to A Bowler 1 Hole,
- C Screene lost to Olivia McCrystal 5&4,
- B Coulter lost to E Fleming 1 Hole,
- K Lanigan beat L Kelly 7&6,
- G Carr beat K O’Hart 2&1
Quarter-Finals – Friday 20 July
- A Foster lost to V Clancy 5&4,
- A Donegan beat A Bowler 5&3,
- O McCrystal lost to E Fleming 6&5,
- K Lanigan beat G Carr 6&5
Semi-Finals – Saturday 21 July
V Clancy beat A Donegan 1 Hole,
E Fleming lost to K Lanigan 5&4
Final - Saturday, 21 July
Valerie Clancy lost to Kate Lanigan 6&5
Plate Matchplay
Last 16 - Friday 20 July
- A Greham lost to C Griffin 7&6,
- S Hegarty lost to O Hunt 5&4,
- M O’Hara beat O McClurg 20th,
- S McGuinness lost to C O’Connor 7&5,
- N O’Dwyer beat A Dawson W/O,
- C Brennan lost to J Browne,
- T McMillen lost to T Laverty 18th,
- F Behan lost to E Thorne W/O
Quarter-Finals – Friday 20 July
- C Griffin beat O Hunt 4&3,
- Molly O’Hara lost to Chloe O’Connor 19th,
- N O’Dwyer beat J Browne 6&5,
- T Laverty lost to E Thorne 5&3
Semi-Finals – Saturday 21 July
C Griffin beat C O’Connor 3&1,
N O’Dwyer beat E Thorne 3&2
Final – Saturday 21 July
Corrina Griffin lost to Niamh O’Dwyer 3&2
