Lauren Walsh second at Eagle Creek; Sara Byrne 19th
Lauren Walsh. Picture by Pat Cashman

Lauren Walsh. Picture by Pat Cashman

Castlewarden’s Lauren Walsh continued her impressive collegiate career in the US with a runner-up finish in the UCF Challenge at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando.

Seeking her third win on US soil in the space of three and a half months, the Wake Forest University star from went into the final round tied for the lead with Houston’s Karen Fredgaard on seven-under-par after rounds of 69 and 68 in cool, blustery conditions.

Scores

But she had to settle for second in the end as she closed with a two-over 74 to Fredgaard’s 72 to finish two shots behind the Danish player on five-under in winds gusting to 30 mph.

She went to the turn in three-over 38 to Fredgaard’s 37 and while both players picked up two birdies on the back nine, the battle for the title was settled on the last two holes.

Both players bogeyed the par-three 17th to leave the Dane one clear playing the par-five 18th and she finished with a birdie four to Walsh’s par to win by two strokes.

Douglas’ Sara Byrne tied for 19th on three-over.

Walsh moves up one stoke to 41st in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

World Amateur Golf Rankings
Rank This Week Rank Last Week Rank Change Name Divisor Points Average
17 17 0 Olivia Mehaffey 13.283 1199.8872
41 42 1 Lauren Walsh 10.0188 1062.499
63 62 -1 Julie McCarthy 7.6415 1005.1876
114 118 4 Paula Grant 7.415 911.0286
126 126 0 Annabel Wilson 8.4905 902.7113
140 117 -23 Aine Donegan 7 884.2195
171 171 0 Anna Foster 9.849 850.5125
268 268 0 Beth Coulter 9.3962 788.6016
286 294 8 Mairead Martin 8.0943 781.5155
370 336 -34 Jessica Ross 7 741.2105
378 382 4 Niamh McSherry 11.4905 737.3248
720 722 2 Sara Byrne 9.6792 636.6467
916 898 -18 Laura Webb 7 588.3038
979 977 -2 Chloe Weir 8.0188 575.9196
1381 1302 -79 Shannon Burke 7 497.086
1407 1418 11 Valerie Clancy 7.5471 493.0172
1600 1541 -59 Maeve Cummins 7 453.3968
1630 1645 15 Rachel Thompson 13.0754 449.3247
1752 1729 -23 Corrina Griffin 7 422.1849
1793 1759 -34 Chloe Ryan 7 413.315
1807 1789 -18 Eleanor Metcalfe 7 408.7494
1906 1914 8 Canice Screene 10.0754 385.5033
2004 1983 -21 Lucia Masding 7 363.7307
2063 2047 -16 Kate Lanigan 7 344.5583
2201 2182 -19 Ciara Casey 7 306.0911
2212 2196 -16 Anna Dawson 7 303.721
2243 2227 -16 Jan Browne 7 294.7543
2399 2406 7 Niamh Ward 7 250.354
2431 2436 5 Emma Fleming 7 242.1416
2650 2638 -12 Sinead Sexton 7 195.2324
2656 2660 4 Alison Taylor 7 194.3524
2722 2705 -17 Georgia Carr 7 180.4254
2800 2799 -1 Clodagh Walsh 7 164.4752
2891 2884 -7 Deirdre Smith 7 144.1339
2943 2939 -4 Elisa Corcoran 7 128.0096
3056 3003 -53 Lucy Simpson 7 113.1202
3143 3135 -8 Catriona Griffin 7 101.92
3255 3254 -1 Louise Coffey 7 76.9407
3274 3272 -2 Meadhbh Doyle 7 71.2484
3303 3302 -1 Molly Dowling 7 60.6627
3314 3315 1 Maeve Kelly 7 56.6753
3381 3381 0 Mary Doyle 7 37.3867
3423 3422 -1 Sarah Cunningham 7 20.4582
3449 3448 -1 Maeve Rooney 7 7.2938