Lester and Walsh set the pace at ISPS Handa Ulster Stroke Play
Rowan Lester. Picture: Golffile
Lahinch’s Aideen Walsh and Hermitage’s Rowan Lester took control in their respective events heading into Tuesday’s final round of the ISPS Handa Ulster Men’s and Women’s Stroke Play at Royal County Down.
The first competitive event run by Golf Ireland since the new governing body came into existence in January, the Championship marks the return to competition for Ireland’s elite amateurs and Walsh and Lester were not found wanting at the classic Co Down links.
Walsh made an eagle at the 13th and four birdies in an opening, one-over 77 to lead by two strokes from Ballinrobe’s Shannon Burke and County Louth’s Deirdre Smith.
She surged further ahead when she eagled the 15th in the afternoon to remain on one-over but then bogeyed the last three holes to card a 79 for a slender, one-stroke lead over Burke and a two-shot advantage over Smith, a former winner of the ladies scratch cup at the Newcastle links.
Former North of Ireland champion Lester made four birdies in his opening 12 holes before signing for a 36-hole total of level par after rounds of 70 and 72.
Lahinch’s Aideen Walsh
The Ireland international finished double-bogey, bogey in the morning for his one-under 70 before dropping shots at the 15th and 16th in the afternoon en route to a 72 and a four-shot lead over two of the country’s leading young guns, Galgorm Castle’s Joshua Hill and Laytown and Bettystown’s Alex Maguire.
Carton House’s Marc Boucher is five shots off the pace on five-under with Warrenpoint’s Colm Campbell a shot further back.
The field of 81 amateurs is now cut to 54 for the final round, following which the top two male players and top female player earn a spot in the ISPS Handa World Invitational later this summer at Galgorm Castle and Massereene.
The ISPS HANDA World Invitational is a unique global event and part of the main European Tour, LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. Sanctioned by the main global tours in world professional golf, it attracts some of the best players in the men’s and women’s game.
The inaugural ISPS HANDA World Invitational was played in 2019 and the men’s title was won by England’s Jack Senior, while homegrown favourite Stephanie Meadow won the women’s title.
ISPS Handa Ulster Stroke Play, Royal County Down (Par 71 Men/ Par 76 Women)
Women’s event
156 A Walsh (Lahinch) 77 79
157 S Burke (Ballinrobe) 79 78
159 D Smith (Co. Louth) 79 80
161 J Ross (Clandeboye) 83 78
162 R Thompson (Cork) 83 79; A Dawson (Tramore) 80 82
164 E Fleming (Elm Park) 86 78; V Clancy (Killarney) 80 84
165 J Browne (Kilkenny) 86 79
168 M O'Hara (Clandeboye) 85 83
169 M Martin (Kanturk) 87 82
170 E O'Gorman (Milltown) 90 80
171 C Griffin (Killarney) 89 82; S McElroy (Grange) 86 85
173 K Dwyer (Rossmore) 94 79; T Laverty (Royal Portrush) 87 86
174 C Walsh (Castlewarden) 84 90
177 C Shippam (Ballykisteen) 94 83
Missed cut
178 O McCrystal (Holywood ) 92 86
181 H Guerin (Royal Tara) 95 86
185 K Dillon (Oughterard) 98 87
191 A Burke (Killarney) 94 97; K Fleming (Elm Park) 93 98
194 S Sharp (Royal Tara) 99 95
Men’s event
142 R Lester (Hermitage) 70 72
146 J Hill (Galgorm Castle) 72 74; A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) 72 74
147 M Boucher (Carton House) 73 74
148 C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 75 73
149 M Kennedy (Royal Dublin) 78 71; R Moran (Castle) 75 74; S Murphy (Portumna) 74 75
150 M McClean (Malone) 76 74
151 C Denvir (Elm Park) 79 72; P Coughlan (Castleknock) 76 75; K Egan (Carton House) 76 75; R Williamson (Holywood) 74 77; C Rafferty (Dundalk) 74 77
152 L O'Neill (Connemara) 77 75; G Lappin (Belvoir Park) 76 76
153 D Flynn (Carton House) 78 75
154 S Carter (Royal Dublin) 76 78; R Milne (Faithlegg) 76 78; J Whelan (Grange) 74 80
155 R McCrory (Lurgan) 78 77; J Fox (Portmarnock) 77 78; A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) 72 83
156 P Conroy (Enniscorthy) 83 73; R O'Doherty (Enniscrone) 80 76; P O' Keeffe (Douglas) 77 79; E Murphy (Dundalk) 77 79; J Hood (Galgorm Castle) 76 80; J Cleary (Elm Park) 74 82
157 S Flanagan (Portmarnock) 82 75; P Keeling (Roganstown) 81 76; G Dunne (Co. Louth) 80 77; J Byrne (Baltinglass) 79 78; E Sullivan (Carton House) 78 79; J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle) 77 80
158 K Murphy (Arklow) 80 78; J McDonnell (Forrest Little) 79 79; S Desmond (Monkstown) 79 79
Missed cut
159 K Bornemann (Douglas) 82 77; B Best (Rathmore) 82 77; S McDermott (Slieve Russell) 82 77; C Nolan (Portmarnock) 82 77; T Higgins (Roscommon) 81 78
160 A King (Faithlegg) 78 82; J McCabe (Roganstown) 78 82
161 P Buckley (Cork) 81 80; D Kitt (Athenry) 81 80; K McCarron (North West) 80 81; D Keating (Seapoint) 78 83; A Hickey (Galway Bay) 78 83
162 R Latimer (Knock) 82 80; T McLarnon (Massereene) 82 80; L Nolan (Galway) 78 84; R McNelis (Fintona) 78 84
165 P Costello (Galway) 85 80
166 L O'Connor (Edmondstown) 87 79; F Kennedy (The Island) 85 81; C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire) 83 83; C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown) 78 88
169 R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 79 90
175 J Mackin (Dundalk) 86 89
177 P McGrath (Galway Bay) 87 90
RTD K Quigg (Ballyliffin)
