Leah Temple Lang flies the flag at Roganstown

Elm Park’s Leah Temple Lang drives off the first at Roganstown Golf & Country Club in the opening round of the Irish Girls’ Amateur Open Strokeplay. Picture: Thos Caffrey | Golffile.

Elm Park's Leah Temple Lang the best of the Irish after the opening round of the Irish Girls' Open Strokeplay at Roganstown.

She’s tied for third after a level par 71, two strokes behind 15-year-old Patience Rhodes from Bernham and Berrow Golf Club, who carded three birdies in a two under par 69 to lead by a shot from Germany's Makline Kraus.

Living up to her name, Patience birdied her last two holes to take the outright lead and she was pleased with her day’s work.

“On 17 I hit it past the pin and holed a 15 footer back down the hill which was a nice confidence booster,” said the England player, who is determined her ball striking and putting will ensure a good result over the weekend.

Patience Rhodes (Eng) drives at the 13th in the first round of the Irish Girls U18 Open Stroke Play Championship at Roganstown Golf & Country Club. Picture: Thos Caffrey / www.golffile.ie

“I hit most fairways and greens all day and putted well. I had a six-foot putt for birdie on 18 which was a tricky left to right one, but I managed to stay calm and hole it”.

Played over 54 holes, a 111-strong international field is compete for a championship that was first played in 2012 when Leona Maguire triumphed.

Olivia Mehaffey, who will play in the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur today, went on to win three times and there are high hopes for another good Irish showing this week.

Of 34 Irish players in the field, Temple Lang is best positioned after also closing with two birdies in her fifth appearance in the event.

“To be honest I feel like I left a few out there, my pace putting wasn’t great but it’s my best round here to date and the tournament is not over yet,” she said. “I’ll do some practice in the morning make sure I get them all to the hole tomorrow.”

Lahinch’s Aine Donegan was three over par after six holes but she battled back to card a one-over 72 as Douglas’ Sara Byrne’s 74 left her inside the top 20. 

The top 50 and ties following today’s second round will qualify for Sunday’s final round

Irish Girls’ Open Stroke Play Championship, Roganstown C&CC (Par 71)

Detailed scores

69 P Rhodes (Eng)

70 M Kraus (Ger);

71 L Temple Lang (Elm Park); C Worby (Wal); M Falkman Lehes (Swe);

72 A Donegan (Lahinch); C Neilson (Sco);

73 E Dobiasova (SVK); F Tynan (Wal); L Gunnar (Swe); T Kirby (Eng); L Rydqvist (Swe); J Myklebust (Nor); R Belsham (Eng); H Lockley (Wal); R Nordvik (Nor); G Crawford (Sco); J Gustafsson Winkle (Swe);

74 L Burke (Eng); A Wallin (Swe); C Noja (Ger); L Vogt (Ger); S Byrne (Douglas); C Sanne (Nor); L Hope (Nor); M Fridell (Swe);

75 M Lindner (Ger); M Lussand (Nor); K Klubben (Nor); X Rama (Carton House); A Foster (Elm Park); N Sundberg (Swe); N Borg (Swe); C Griffiths (Sco); M Maier (Ger);

76 L Carlbom (Swe); E Rhodes (Eng); F Capelo (Portugal); S Ohma (Nor); E Fleming (Elm Park); B Coulter (Kirkistown Castle); C Burdon (Eng); M Samuelsson (Swe); I Grimbrandt (Swe); F Tavelli Westerlund (Swe); J Browne (Kilkenny); E Krause (Ger);

77 K Gustafssone (Latvia); I Hahne (Swe); L Ilavska (SVK); C Lohoff (Ger); L Charbonnier (Fra); M Borisova (Bul);

78 M Cederholm (Swe); T Laverty (Royal Portrush); E Bjoerge (Nor); C Griffin (Killarney); L Bell (Eng); S Ericsson (Swe); S Lundmark (Swe); K Poots (Knock); N Joyce Moreno (Royal Portrush); D Stokmans (Ned); K Lanigan (Hermitage);

79 L Masding (Old Conna); M O'Hara (Clandeboye); J Baeumken (Ger); R Gardner (Carnalea); L Norlén (Swe); I Simpson (Australia); C Fontaine-Geary (Eng);

80 R Gyllner (Swe); R Foster (Sco);

81 E Rodgers (Royal Portrush); M Holletschek (Ger); L Schumacher (Ger); E Thorne (Elm Park); R Connolly (Youghal); E Henningsson (Swe);

82 C Shippam (Ballykisteen); L Kelly (Ballykisteen); G Mayo (Wal);

83 N Diedrich (Ger); A Schwinn (Ger); B Decker (Ger); H Barker (Eng); M Hoffmann (Ger); C O'Grady (Black Bush);

84 E Willis (Wal); C Maxwell (Royal Curragh); B Pyke (Eng);

85 P Wilson (Sco); A Dawson (Tramore); N O'Dwyer (Lahinch); R Scanlon (Eng); C Gutsche (Ger); O McCrystal (Holywood);

86 K Fleming (Elm Park); J Böttcher (Ger); A Burke (Killarney); S O'Brien (Elm Park);

87 C Haesler (Eng);

89 S Böhlhoff (Ger); S Moylan (Birr); K O'Keeffe (Tralee);

90 E Park (Edmondstown); H Lignell (Swe);

92 C Maples Gaffney (Royal Tara); G Evans (Eng);

93 T Gordon (Laytown & Bettystown);

97 L Sutter (Ger).