IRISH SENIOR WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

KAARNALAHTI WINS 

PLAY-OFF AT SIXTH 

EXTRA HOLE

NEWS RELEASE FROM IRISH LGU
Finland’s Minna Kaarnalahti (pictured) defeated defending champion Gertie McMullen in a play-off to win her third Irish senior women’s open amateur stroke-play title in four years after both finished on 227 for the regulation 54 holes at Dundalk
Kaarnalahti, who played football professionally in Finland until knee injuries ended that career and she switched to golf,  closed the three-shot gap on overnight leader McMullen after a fine one over par 74 in breezy conditions. 
The lead see-sawed between the two past champions throughout the round until McMullen forced extra holes by parring the last hole.
Kaarnalahti was able to win the title once more with a bogey at the sixth hole of the marathon play-off.
Ireland’s team of Pat Doran (Donabate), Sheena McElroy (Grange) and Gertie McMullen (The Island) won the Nations Cup from Canada, USA and The Netherlands.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 219 (3x73) SSS 74 CSS 74 74 74
227 Minna Kaarnalahti (FIN) 75 78 74. Gertie McMullen (The Island) 74 76 77 (Kaarnalahti won play-off at sixth extra hole)
234 Suzanne Corcoran (Portumna) 77 78 79
236 Pat Doran (Donabate) 80 80 76 Helen Jones (Royal Portrush) 80 80 76 Alison Murdoch (CAN) 78 79 79
238 Mary MacLaren (Royal Portrush) 80 81 77
240 Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire) 77 82 81
241 Gabi Heuchel (ENG) 77 83 81 Mary Dowling (Mallow) 77 81 83
242 Kate Evans (RCD Ladies) 82 77 83 Catherine Reilly (The Heath) 74 84 84
243 Ita Donnelly (Dundalk) 75 82 86
244 Marilyn Henderson (Royal Belfast) 84 81 79 Becky Neal (USA) 83 82 79
246 Anne Ferguson (Ogbourne Downs) 83 81 82
249 Leslie Olive Henry (USA) 86 80 83 Georgia McCravey (USA) 82 84 83
250 Vivienne Houston (City of Derry) 86 84 80
251 Wanda Mochtar (NED) 87 81 83
252 Ann McAuley (Laytown & Bettystown) 91 80 81 Gill Rouiller (Mannan Castle) 83 86 83 Diane Williams (CAN) 83 85 84
254 Valerie Hassett (Ennis) 88 80 86 Kay McCartan (Greenore) 83 84 87
255 Ruth Maguire (Corrstown) 80 87 88
256 Judy Collins (CAN) 89 84 83 Pauline Walsh (Headfort) 83 89 84
257 Valerie Shannon (Lahinch) 89 87 81 Mary Feenan (CAN) 88 87 82
258 Pamela Williamson (SCO) 93 83 82 Mary McGoey (Greenore) 86 82 90 Paula Murray (Naas) 85 86 87 Evelyn Blackmon (USA) 84 87 87
261 Linda Evers (USA) 90 84 87 Nancy Beck (USA) 82 87 92
263 Elizabeth Neville (Bearna) 93 84 86
265 Patricia Black (Headfort) 94 85 86
266 Manja Reef (NED) 87 85 94
268 Ada Vrolijk (NED) 91 91 86
270 Iet Hagels (NED) 87 94 89 Joan Curran (Laytown and Bettystown) 87 92 91
271 Helen Thornton (Ardee) 94 88 89
282 Nancy Jackson (USA) 98 91 93
WD Grainne O'Connor (Skerries) 89 85
DQ Sheena McElroy (Grange) 76 DSQ


NATIONS CUP
 (2 scores from 3 to count each round)
459 IRELAND A Pat Doran [80] 80 76 Sheena McElroy 76 [DSQ] [DSQ] Gertie McMullen 74 76 77
467 IRELAND B Suzanne Corcoran 77 78 79 Mary Dowling 77 [81] [83] Helen Jones [80] 80 76
488 CANADA A Alison Murdoch 78 79 79 Diane Williams 83 85 84
489 USA A Nancy Beck 82 [87] [92] Leslie Olive Henry [86] 80 83 Becky Neal 83 82 79
504 USA B Evelyn Blackmon 84 [87] 87 Linda Evers [90] 84 [87] Georgia McCravey 82 84 83
513 CANADA B Judy Collins 89 84 83 Mary Feenan 88 87 82
521 NETHERLANDS A Iet Hagels 87 94 89 Wanda Mochtar 87 81 83
534 NETHERLANDS B Manja Reef 87 85 94 Ada Vrolijk 91 91 86

NO SCOTS LEFT AFTER HALFWAY IN EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

 KYLIE AND CATRIONA MISS CUT

Kylie Walker and Catriona Matthew, the only two Scots in the field for the last Major of the women's pro season, the Evian Championship in France, both missed the halfway cut.
Both were on 151 (75-76) - four shots too many.

Evian-les-Bains, France -  Practising barefoot helped Brittany Lincicome to shoot a six-under-par 65 and take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Evian Championship in France today.

The 28-year-old from Seminole in Florida told reporters how taking her shoes off on the range helped to slow down her swing and improve her drives.

“It just slows it down, my tempo.  Obviously I can't swing as hard as I would like to with no shoes on because I will fall,” said Lincicome, who won her sole Major at the 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship and lost to Inbee Park in a play-off at last month’s Wegman’s LPGA Championship where she was also leading after 36 holes. 

 “Today I just thought I would just take them off and hit some balls and see what happens.  Actually did it yesterday.  After my round I went to the range and hit balls for 15, 20 minutes.”

Six shots off the lead after an opening round of four-under-par 67, Lincicome fired six birdies at the Evian Resort Golf Club on a warm and sunny afternoon to end the day 10-under-par, a stroke ahead of first-round leader Hyo-Joo Kim, who added a one-over 72 to her opening 61.

“I think just the confidence.  Even when I felt like I didn't hit a good shot today I kind of got away with it.  Golf isn't always a game of perfection and hitting great shots. It's more about misses,” Lincicome said.  

“My misses today were right online and gave me birdie opportunities or got me in the fairway.”

Kim, 19, started with three bogeys on the back nine but made three birdies and one bogey on the front. Through translation, she said that she wanted to ‘erase’ the first day’s score to start afresh and admitted to feeling the pressure.

Fellow South Korean Mi Jung Hur was third on seven-under-par after a 69, followed by the defending champion Suzann Pettersen (69) and Karrie Webb (71) a shot further behind in a share of fourth.

The world’s first and third ranked players, Stacy Lewis and Lydia Ko respectively, shared sixth place with Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn on five-under-par, with Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and South Korean IK Kim among the players on four-under.

Of the other notable Ladies European Tour competitors, the Italian Open champion Florentyna Parker was lying in a share of 32^nd on one-over-par alongside Caroline Hedwall, Beatriz Recari and Jodi Ewart Shadoff, among others. 

Charley Hull, the Lalla Meryem Cup champion, was in a group on two-over with last week’s Helsingborg Open winner Dewi-Claire Schreefel. Sandra Gal was on three-over-par, with Dame Laura Davies and Lee-Anne Pace on four-over-par.

Earlier in the second round, So Yeon Ryu was disqualified as she had damaged her putter on the fourth hole by slamming it against her shoe and bending the shaft of the club, thus changing its' playing characteristics. 

The 2011 US Women’s Open champion, who won the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open last month, subsequently used the club to tap in her ball, which was a violation of rule 4-3b: using a club that was damaged other than in the normal course of play.

SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD

Par 142 (2x71)

132 - Brittany Lincicome (USA)  67 65

133 - Hyo-Joo Kim (SKOR)  61 72

135 - Mi Jung Hur (SKOR)  66 69

136 - Suzann Pettersen (NOR)  67 69, Karrie Webb (AUS)  65 71

137 - Lydia Ko (NZL)  69 68, Stacy Lewis (USA)  70 67, Moriya Jutanugarn (THA)  69 68

138 - Mariajo Uribe (COL)  68 70, Anna Nordqvist (SWE)  71 67, I.K. Kim (SKOR)  69 69, Amy Yang (SKOR)  68 70

139 - Minjee Lee (AUS)  72 67

140 - Julieta Granada (PAR)  68 72, Lexi Thompson (USA)  70 70, Mina Harigae (USA)  69 71, Shanshan Feng (CHN)  70 70, Paula Creamer (USA)  69 71

141 - Ha-Na Jang (SKOR)  70 71, Kris Tamulis (USA)  70 71, Inbee Park (SKOR)  69 72, Mika Miyazato (JPN)  69 72, Karine Icher (FRA)  68 73, Mi Hyang Lee (SKOR)  72 69, Katherine Kirk (AUS)  71 70

142 - Na Yeon Choi (SKOR)  70 72, Ayako Uehara (JPN)  69 73, Line Vedel (DEN)  70 72, Sakura Yokomine (JPN)  71 71, Hee Young Park (SKOR)  72 70, Azahara Munoz (ESP)  70 72

143 - Emily Kristine Pedersen (DNK)  69 74, Caroline Hedwall (SWE)  70 73, Il Hee Lee (SKOR)  69 74, Celine Boutier (FRA)  71 72, Florentyna Parker (ENG)  71 72, Candie Kung (TPE)  69 74, Beatriz Recari (ESP)  72 71

144 - Se Ri Pak (SKOR)  69 75, Jodi Ewart Shadoff (ENG)  72 72, Sun Young Yoo (SKOR)  76 68, Meena Lee (SKOR)  71 73, Lizette Salas (USA)  69 75, Gerina Piller (USA)  71 73, Charley Hull (ENG)  71 73, Ji Young Oh (SKOR)  73 71, Dewi Claire Schreefel (NED)  68 76, Jennifer Song (USA)  71 73

145 - Marina Alex (USA)  71 74, Cristie Kerr (USA)  71 74, Sandra Gal (GER)  72 73

146 - Morgan Pressel (USA)  70 76, Jing Yan (CHN)  71 75, Laura Davies (ENG)  70 76, Eun-Hee Ji (SKOR)  75 71, Sarah-Jane Smith (AUS)  68 78, Jane Park (USA)  74 72, Christina Kim (USA)  71 75, Amelia Lewis (USA)  70 76, Lee-Anne Pace (RSA)  73 73, Juli Inkster (USA)  69 77

147 - Mirim Lee (SKOR)  71 76, Kristy Mcpherson (USA)  70 77, Jessica Korda (USA)  72 75, Sydnee Michaels (USA)  71 76, Sarah Kemp (AUS)  71 76, In Gee Chun (SKOR)  69 78, Laura Diaz (USA)  75 72, Pernilla Lindberg (SWE)  73 74, Jaye Marie Green (USA)  69 78

MISSED THE CUT

148 - Kim Kaufman (USA)  76 72, Amy Anderson (USA)  70 78, Angela Stanford (USA)  76 72, Jennifer Johnson (USA)  77 71, Valentine Derrey (FRA)  74 74, Tiffany Joh (USA)  72 76

149 - Haeji Kang (SKOR)  76 73, Cheyenne Woods (USA)  77 72, Julie Greciet (FRA)  73 76, Gwladys Nocera (FRA)  72 77

150 - Pornanong Phatlum (THA)  73 77, Joanna Klatten (FRA)  72 78, Patcharajutar Kongkraphan (THA)  76 74

151 - Kelly Tan (MYS)  78 73, Kylie Walker (SCO)  75 76, Jenny Shin (SKOR)  75 76, Lindsey Wright (AUS)  71 80, Catriona Matthew (SCO)  75 76, Carlota Ciganda (ESP)  77 74, Ai Miyazato (JPN)  74 77

152 - Kristen Gillman (USA)  74 78, Yani Tseng (TPE)  76 76, Belen Mozo (ESP)  75 77, Jennifer Rosales (PHL)  77 75, Trish Johnson (ENG)  72 80, Alison Walshe (USA)  78 74, Alejandra Llaneza (MEX)  77 75

153 - Dori Carter (USA)  74 79, Camilla Lennarth (SWE)  75 78, Xi Yu Lin (CHN)  75 78, Jee Young Lee (SKOR)  76 77, Brooke Pancake (USA)  75 78, Nikki Campbell (AUS)  75 78, Caroline Afonso (FRA)  78 75

154 - Thidapa Suwannapura (THA)  71 83, Haru Nomura (JPN)  75 79, Caroline Masson (GER)  77 77, Brittany Lang (USA)  71 83

155 - Austin Ernst (USA)  76 79, Christel Boeljon (NED)  75 80, Chella Choi (SKOR)  77 78, Katie Burnett (USA)  77 78

156 - Danielle Kang (USA)  79 77, Giulia Sergas (ITA)  77 79

157 - Ashleigh Simon (RSA)  75 82

158 - Alena Sharp (CAN)  78 80

162 - Ariane Provot (FRA)  77 85

164 - Paz Echeverria (CHL)  82 82

DQ - So Yeon Ryu (SKOR) 

MARGARET SHIRLEY WINS US WOMEN'S MID-AM TITLE

By Christina Lance, USGA

NOBLESVILLE, Indiana– Stroke-play medalist Margaret Shirley never trailed en route to a 5-and-3 win over defending champion Julia Potter in the 2014 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, conducted at the 6,117-yard, par-72 Harbour Trees Golf Club.
“It just doesn't feel real right now,” said Shirley, who was runner-up to Potter in 2013. “It's obviously the pinnacle of our sport, a USGA championship, and to be able to say I'm a USGA champion now is incredible.” 
“I was going to need birdies to beat her,” said Potter, who was trying to become just the fourth back-to-back Women’s Mid-Amateur champion. 
“I just wasn't knocking them close enough or really sinking putts to be able to put any pressure on her. She played an amazing front nine, an amazing round and she's much deserving of this championship.”
Shirley, 28, of Atlanta, joins Carol Semple Thompson (1997), Ellen Port (2000) and Potter (2013) as the only stroke-play medalists (leading match-play qualifiers) to take the championship title.
In the semi-finals, Shirley cruised to a 5-and-4 win over four-time champion Meghan Stasi, while Potter took a 2-and-1 victory over Tara Joy-Connelly. Shirley receives a 10-year Women’s Mid-Amateur exemption, as well as a two-year exemption into the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Potter receives three-year and one-year exemptions, respectively, but was already exempt due to her 2013 victory.
The U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually is open to female amateur golfers who are at least 25 years of age.
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Results
SEMI-FINALSMargaret Shirley, Atlanta, Ga. (142) def. Meghan Stasi, Oakland Park, Fla. (151), 5 and 4 
Julia Potter, Granger, Ind. (144) def. Tara Joy-Connelly, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (152), 2 and 1
FINAL
Shirley bt Potter 5 and 3.

RECORD ENTRY HEADING TO DUMFRIES AND COUNTY GOLF CLUB

STANLEY MORISSON CHARITABLE 

TRUST JUNIOR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 

 

NEWS RELEASE

The annual SMCT junior team golf championship moves to Dumfries and County Golf Club from Portpatrick Golf Club on Sunday, September 21 with a record entry of over 100 junior golfers from all corners of Scotland.  

The event was originally designed to allow junior golfers to compete in an environment which was specifically designed to facilitate skill development and inspire young golfers to compete against the best players in their respective age category at no cost.   

The event is completely sponsored by the SMCT which covers green fees, food and drinks, goody bags, prizes and coaching from Stirling University performance golf coach Dean Robertson,  

PGA professional Stewart Savage and head professional James Erskine, ably assisted by the University of Stirling performance squad.   

The assistance of the university squad reinforces the events ethos of growing the game by giving something back to grass roots golf.  The event is also supported by ClubGolf Scotland.  This year’s event has attracted some of the Scotland’s top junior players in the Under 18 and 16 Scratch events.  Spectators are welcome.   

Draw on www.thecounty.co.uk