Foster joins the greats with AIG Irish Women's Close win
Anna Foster shows off the AIG Irish Women’s Close trophy. Picture courtesy Golf Ireland
Anna Foster was thrilled to etch her name alongside Leona and Lisa Maguire and Olivia Mehaffey on the AIG Irish Women’s Amateur Close trophy with a 2&1 win over Kirkistown Castle's Beth Coulter at Ballybunion.
A freshman at prestigious Auburn University in Alabama this year, the 20-year old ended the fairytale run of 13-year-old Olivia Costello from Roscommon with a comfortable 6&5 semi-final win.
In the final, she took control from the start with a birdie at the first and never trailed all afternoon against leading qualifier Coulter, who holed a great putt from just off the 17th green to defeated Ballinrobe's Shannon Burke 3&1 in her semi-final.
Coulter squared the match with a win at the seventh, but Foster regained the lead at the next, extended it to two holes on the 10th and while she lost the 16th, she won the 17th to close out a 2&1 win.
"It still hasn't sunk in," said Foster, whose fellow club member Ita Butler lost in the Irish Close final in 1972 and 1978. "I'm so happy. The whole week was about taking one shot at a time, and I never got ahead of myself from Thursday morning. It was all about staying calm and present.
"I wasn't worried about how I played on Thursday, as long as I made the cut. After that, I saw I was in the bottom half of the draw, and it was all about quietly progressing. I was happy to glide through to today's semis.
"I knew the final with Beth was going to be very tight, so winning the first hole was a big plus. Beth is a brilliant player, so it was about hanging in and then being able to build on the lead.
"I'm delighted to add my name to the trophy. It's a pleasure to have it there with the likes of the Maguire twins and Olivia Mehaffey.
Coulter led the qualifiers but was still disappointed to lose out in the decider.
"I played really well in the semis and holed everything," she said. "I probably used all my putts up in that match. Nothing would go in, in the afternoon, but I'm delighted for Anna. She deserved it."
AIG Irish Women's Amateur Close Championship, Ballybunion
Semi-finals
Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) beat Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe) 3&1;
Olivia Costello (Roscommon) lost to Anna Foster (Elm Park) 6&5.
Final
Coulter lost to Foster 2&1.