. 

 Sinead Sexton top seed for Irish close 

championship over home course at Lahinch

                              Sinead Sexton, a student at Stirling University.

By SARAH CROWE

The Irish Close Championship got underway this morning around the Old course at Lahinch where competitors played 36 holes stroke play. The championship course measuring 5,968yds was in immaculate condition and good scores were there for the taking.

On a day dominated by three hole in ones, some players mastered the course in the midst of glorious sunshine. Killarney duo Catriona Griffin and Claire Keating both holed out on the 8^th and 15^th respectively, with five iron being the club of choice for the two competitors. 

Ennis player Shannon Hegarty’s ace came a little earlier as she managed to master the 5^th hole with a 9 iron.

Home member and Irish International Sinead Sexton held the joint 

lead after round one with Skerries player and Curtis Cup team 

member Maria Dunne after two sizzling rounds of 70 (-4). 

Sexton  jumped into the lead in the second round, following her 

impressive opening round with a level par 74 to lead closest 

competitor, Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) by 2 shots.

Dunne, Olivia Mehaffey (RCDL) and Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) 

were all hot on Sinead’s heels and will progress to the first round 

of match play tomorrow.  

Thirty-two players qualified for the Championship match- play.  All information for the Irish Women’s Close Championship

FIRST ROUND MATCH-PLAY TIES

09:00 Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) V Valerie Shannon (Lahinch)

09:09 Paula Walsh (Doneraile) V Anne McCormack (Naas)

09:18 Valerie Clancy (Killarney) V Lisa O'Shea (Shannon)     

09:27 Nicola Coffey (Woodbrook) V Sara Byrne (Douglas)     

09:36 Louise Coffey (Malone) V Gillian O'Leary (The Island)     

09:45 Mary Doyle (The Heath) V Aedin Murphy (Carlow)   

09:54 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) V Ellen O'Gorman (Milltown)   

10:03 Niamh McSherry (Lurgan) V Georgia Carr (Milltown)  

10:12 Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) V Olivia Lucas (Lahinch)     

10:21 Catriona Griffin (Killarney) V Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe)     

10:30 Orla Dunphy (Kilkenny) V Aoife Lowry (Tipperary)     

10:39 Rachel Thompson (Cork) V Maeve Rooney (Co. Sligo)    

10:48 Maria Dunne (Skerries) V Clodagh Jones (Roscrea)     

10:57 Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) V Elisa Corcoran (Grange)     

11:06 Olivia Mehaffey (RCDL) V Linda Toomey (Lahinch)     

11:15 Mairead Martin (Killarney) V Karen Delaney (Carlow)

STROKE-PLAY QUALIFYING

Par 148 (2x74) CSS both rounds 77.

144 Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) 70 74

147 Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) 72 75

148 Maria Dunne (Skerries) 70 78

149 Louise Coffey (Malone) 74 75

150 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) 76 74 Olivia Mehaffey (Royal Co Down Ladies) 74 76

151 Orla Dunphy (Kilkenny) 79 72 Valerie Clancy (Killarney) 78 73 Nicola Coffey (Woodbrook) 76 75 Rachel Thompson (Cork) 75 76 Mairead Martin (Killarney) 72 79

154 Niamh McSherry (Lurgan) 78 76

156 Mary Doyle (The Heath) 78 78 Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) 78 78

159 Catriona Griffin (Killarney) 82 77 Paula Walsh (Doneraile) 81 78 Anne McCormack (Naas) 80 79 Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe) 79 80

160 Elisa Corcoran (Grange) 82 78

161 Aedin Murphy (Carlow) 83 78 Georgia Carr (Milltown) 81 80 Karen Delaney (Carlow) 81 80

162 Maeve Rooney (Co. Sligo) 81 81

163 Sara Byrne (Douglas) 77 86

164 Lisa O'Shea (Shannon) 82 82 Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) 81 83 Linda Toomey (Lahinch) 77 87

165 Ellen O'Gorman (Milltown) 79 86

168 Gillian O'Leary (The Island) 84 84 Clodagh Jones (Roscrea) 82 86

170 Olivia Lucas (Lahinch) 89 81 Valerie Shannon (Lahinch) 85 85

DID NOT QUALIFY

171 Jenny Hennessy (Lahinch) 84 87

172 Niamh O'Dwyer (Lahinch) 87 85 Anna Foster (Elm Park) 87 85

173 Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) 87 86

174 Sarah Crowe (Naas) 88 86

176 Claire McGonagle (Portsalon) 84 92

179 Annie Harpur (Naas) 99 80

180 Jan Browne (Kilkenny) 94 86 Orla Barry (Galway) 90 90

181 Ciara Brennan (Belvoir Park) 89 92

182 Deborah McCooke (Galgorm Castle) 90 92 Claire Keating (Killarney) 89 93 Gemma Butler (Birr) 87 95

183 Aine Donegan (Woodstock) 93 90 Eileen Coleman (Doneraile) 88 95

185 Shannon Hegarty (Ennis) 94 91 Carmel Kearney (Mallow) 92 93 Siobhan O'Herlihy (Muskerry) 90 95

187 Noreen Maloney (Oughterard) 93 94 Nicole McGavisk (Donabate) 93 94

190 Mary Geaney (Killarney) 95 95

192 Michelle Pyke (Shannon) 90 102

199 Honoria Fogarty (Castlecomer) 103 96

203 Mary Bergin (Monkstown) 98 105

Retired Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) 84 Rtd

   Lahinch gets many famous visitors .... here's Peter Alliss and Sinead Sexton in the pro's shop.

                            From a tweet by Sinead!