OLIVIA MEHAFFEY IS IRELAND'S LAST HOPE IN SEMI-FINALOF BRITISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR CH/SHIP

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
The only golf writer at Portstewart GC, N Ireland 

All roads in Northern Ireland - and over the Border too - will lead to Portstewart Golf Club for Saturday's  semi-finals and final of the 112th Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship.

Despite the shock morning defeat of World No 1 Leona Maguire, beaten by Aussie Joanna Charlton with four-under-par figures, the success of Olivia Mehaffey (pictured), a member of Royal Co Down Ladies Golf Club at Newcastle, Northern Ireland, in reaching the last four should ensure a full turn out from her "ain folk" as she bids to follow in the footsteps of the 2012 champion from Jordanstown, Northern Ireland, Stephanie Meadow who triumphed at Carnoustie, the first Irish player to win the title since Lilian Behan at Ganton in 1985.
Mehaffey, who won't be 18 until October, has had a magnificent early season of triumphs and reaching the last four of the "British" is the icing on the cake although the Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europeat Malone GC, Belfast the week after next will be another career highlight.
Saturday morning's semi-finals will feature Mehaffey against Sweden's Linnea Strom. Coincidentally, both girls will be enrolling at Arizona State University in August.

The other semi-final will see the No 3 seed and past World No 1, Celine Boutier (France and Duke University, N Carolina), pictured above,  against Belgium's Charlotte De Corte (pictured left)
Boutier, pictured below, had six birdies in her quarter-final win over Olivia Cowan, the English/German teenager whose father is a club pro in Germany.

If we set national patriotism aside, one would have to say that Celine Boutier, who plays for the same college team as Leona Maguire, is the title favourite.]
FRIDAY RESULTS
THIRD ROUND
J Charlton (Australia) bt Leona Maguire (Ire) 3 and 1.
L Strom (Swe) bt B Marchand (Can) 5 and 3
M Szeryk (Can) bt L Cloots (Bel) 3 and 2.
O Mehaffey (Royal Co Down) bt M Sagstrom (Swe) 2 holes
C Boutier (Fra) bt D Chen (USA) 4 and 3.
O Cowan (Ger) bt L Sobron (Spa) 4 and 3
C De Corte (Bel) bt E Tong (Can) 2 and 1.
P Grant (Lisburn) bt E Esborn (Swe) at 19th.
QUARTER-FINALS
Strom bt Charlton 2 and 1
Mehaffey bt Szeryk 1 hole
Boutier bt Cowan 4 and 2
De Corte bt Grant 3 and 2.
\
SATURDAY MORNING SEMI-FINALS
8.30 Olivia Mehaffey versus Linnea Strom

8.40 Celine Boutier versus Charlotte De Corte

FINAL (18 holes)

1pm - Mehaffey or Strom v Boutier or De Corte