Screene wins AIG Irish Women's Close
AIG's John Gillick with Canice Screene and Golf Ireland President, Rosemary Tully. Picture: Golffile.ie
Croham Hurst’s Canice Screene hopes the best is yet to come after she claimed the AIG Irish Women’s Amateur Close Championship with a 2&1 win over Ballybunion’s Emma O’Driscoll at Roscommon.
The English golfer, whose parents are from Ireland, broke the hearts of the local faithful in the semi-final when she defeated home hope Olivia Costello 2 up as O’Driscoll ousted recently named Curts Cup player Beth Coulter at the 19th.
Screene (23) finished third in strokeplay qualifying before beating Clandeboye’s Molly O’Hara and reigning Bridgestone Order of Merit champion, Emma Fleming.
She was 3-down early in her match against Costello but battled back and eventually won the last three holes to clinch her place in the final where she won three of the first 11 holes to lead 1-up before closing out victory at the 17th.
“It’s been a long time coming, this one is very very special,” she said. “This is my fourth or fifth year playing and I played the girls. This is really it for me.
“I had been playing well all week, and I knew I was going to have to play well in this last match, so to do it was really special.
“I definitely came in here to win, make the match play and then see how it goes. This has proven to me that I can win and I have been waiting very long to get over the finish line. I always said if I can win once I can win again.
“Hopefully I can just keep the momentum going, so we will see.”
Clodagh Coughlan, Canice Screene and Hannah Lee McNamara. Picture: Golffile.ie
Douglas’ Clodagh Coughlan won the AIG Irish Women’s Amateur Close Plate when she beat Laytown and Bettystown’s Ellen O’Gorman with a birdie on the 20th.
O’Gorman was 3-up with five to play before Coughlan fought back to force extra holes with a par at the 18th before clinching victory with a brilliant birdie at the 20th.
It was an important win for the 25-year-old and it came on the back of her interprovincial success with Munster.
“Overall, you’d be disappointed not to make the top 12, but you just dust yourself off and go again,” said Coughlan.
“I was three down with five to play, and I just told myself I had to dig deep.”
Royal Portrush’s Hannah Lee-McNamara won the AIG Irish Girls’ Amateur Close Plate following a 1-up victory over County Louth’s Ellen O’Shaughnessy.
The Irish teammates battled it out in the week before they travel to Conwy in Wales for the Home Internationals.
“It was a tough match; we both played well,” said Lee-McNamara (15). “I got a good lead; I was 3 up after nine. Then Ellen got a few birdies and a few long putts. On 17, I made bogey, and she made par. We went up 18, and the nerves were very high,”
“I was disappointed not to get into the main championship but to win this was very nice. I have Homes next week so it has given me good confidence heading into that.”
View the final scoring here