Never mind the professionals, Ireland’s amateur ladies have the game to take on all comers.
Just 24 hours before she is named in the Curtis Cup side alongside the brilliant Cavan twins Lisa and Leona Maguire, Danielle McVeigh overcame a bout of suspected food poisoning to win the 54-hole Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Troon.
The 22-year-old Maynooth student, who is backed by the Paddy Harrington Golf Trust, came from three shots behind with five holes to play to close with a one-under par 74 for a two-stroke victory on 10-under par.
She also teamed up with Leona Maguire to help Ireland win the team title by a massive 11 strokes from England.
The winner of last season’s British Open and Welsh Strokeplay titles, the title swung McVeigh’s way when she holed from off the green for a birdie two at the 14th and then eagled the 425-yard 15th by reducing the hole to a drive, a five iron and a 15 foot putt.
That saw her surge to 11 under as joint leader Louise Kenney double bogeyed the short 13th after bunker troubled and dropped another shot at the 15th.
Set to turn professional next season, McVeigh told Kirkwood Golf News: “I am really delighted to have won the Helen Holm tournament. I played solidly throughout the three days - but you know I almost pulled out before I struck a ball on Friday.
“I went in to Glasgow to have a meal on the eve of the tournament and I was laid low by something like food poisoning. If I had had a later starting time on Friday, I would definitely not have made it. I hadn’t slept a wink, I had been desperately sick and my stomach was so upset, I really felt like staying in bed for a week.
“But I did make it to the first tee … and look what’s happened! I felt a little bit better on Saturday and as right as rain today. I am so glad I didn’t pull out. I’ve another year to do at university. After that I want to turn professional and join the other Irish girls on the Ladies European Tour.”
Defending champion Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) and her 15-year-old twin Lisa finished joint sixth on 219 alongside Lauren Taylor (Woburn), who won the Under-18 award on a scorecard count back.
“It’s disappointing but we are learning all the time. People forget that,” Leona said.
While all this was going on, Ireland’s professional team of Rebecca Coakley and Hazel Kavanagh finished a disappointing joint last alongside Norway in the European Nations Cup at La Sella, near Alicante in Spain.
Sweden and Australia tied on 267 after four rounds but Anna Nordqvist and Sophie Gustafson beat Karrie Webb and Karen Lunn at the third extra hole to claim the title.
After Gustafson hit an outstanding shot from 212 yards with a seven-wood, Nordqvist showed her class when she rolled in a six foot eagle putt on the 448-yard par-five 18th for a 68 to tie with Australia at 21-under-par.
It took three more holes to separate the teams but Sweden eventually won with a tap-in birdie on the 18th, after Webb’s 20 foot birdie putt horse-shoed out.
Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship
First two rounds Troon Portland, third round Royal Troon.
Par 225 (3 x 75)
215 Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies) 70 71 74.
217 Nikki Foster (Pleasington) 67 71 79.
218 Hannah Barwood (Knowle) 74 71 73, Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 72 72 74, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) 67 71 80.
219 Lauren Taylor (Woburn) 75 71 73, Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) 74 71 74, Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 69 75 75.
220 Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 74 72 74, Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) 76 69 75.
221 Rachael Watton(Mortonhall) 75 74 72.
222 Laura Murray (Alford) 75 74 73, Gillian O’Leary (Cork) 72 75 75, Emma Brown (Malton &Norton) 71 75 76.
224 Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) 78 76 70, Anjelika Hammar (Sweden) 76 71 77.
226 Gemma Bradbury (Cottrell Park) 76 72 78, Lucy Williams (Mid Herts) 70 77 79, Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) 72 73 81.
227 Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 79 74 74, Tara Davies (Holyhead) 77 74 76, Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) 74 76 77, Alyson McKechin (Eldereslie) 78 70 79, Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 75 75 77.
228 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 78 76 70, Charlotte Wild (Mere) 74 79 75, Jess Wilcox (Blankney) 77 74 77, Laura Collin (John O’Gaunt) 76 74 78, Sian James (Bristol & Clifton) 75 73 80.
229 Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) 81 70 78.
230 Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) 76 79 75, Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) 76 76 78, Amy Boulden (Maesdu) 77 74 79.
231 Becky Harries (Haverfordwest) 78 76 77, Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) 75 77 79, Kelly Brotherton (Troon Welbeck) 75 76 80.
232 Emma Sheffield (Newark) 77 79 76, Susan Jackson (Ladybank) 77 79 76, Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey) 78 78 76, Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) 81 74 77, Samantha Birks (Wolstanton) 79 72 81, Aedin Murphy (Carlow) 77 73 82.
233 Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) 76 80 77, Bethany Garton (Royal Lytham) 79 77 77, Rebecca Wilson (Grange) 77 78 78, Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 75 76 82.
234 Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 78 77 79, Naomi Edwards (Ganton) 73 76 85.
235 Rebecca Gee (Wellingborough) 81 75 79, Rachael Taylor (Hartl Golf Resort, Germany) 79 76 80.
236 Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush) 77 78 81.
237 Sarah Garbutt (Ganton) 77 81 79, Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) 81 76 80, Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) 79 76 82.
238 Josephine Janson (Sweden) 79 79 80.
239 Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) 82 80 77, Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 83 79 77, Stephanie McEvoy (Old Fold Manor) 76 79 84.
243 Ciara Butler (Newlands) 84 80 79, Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 80 80 83, Karen O’Neill (Douglas) 81 73 89.
244 Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) 82 77 85.
245 Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus) 79 81 85.
247 Lesley Atkins (Gullane) 82 82 83.
248 Samantha Leslie (Westhill) 86 81 81, Hannah Grant (Enmore Park) 80 76 92.
249 Bronwyn Davies (Trentham) 81 85 83, Lucy Simpson (Massereene) 80 81 88.
INTERNATIONAL TEAM EVENT
434 IRELAND (Danielle McVeigh 215, Leona Maguire 219).
445 ENGLAND (Hannah Barwood 218, Holly Clyburn 227, Hannah Barwood).
449 SCOTLAND (Louise Kenney 218, Pamela Pretswell 231).
457 WALES (Tara Davies 227, Amy Boulden 230).
EUROPEAN NATIONS CUP
La Sella Golf Resort, Alicante, Spain
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
267 Anna Nordqvist & Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 67 62 70 68 (Anna & Sophie wins at Third Playoff hole), Karrie Webb & Karen Lunn (Aus) 69 65 67 66
269 Giulia Sergas & Veronica Zorzi 68 66 68 67
272 Iben Tinning & Lisa Holm Sorensen (Den) 68 66 67 71
274 Gwladys Nocera & Jade Schaeffer (Fra) 67 69 66 72, Beth Daniel & Meg Mallon (USA) 67 71 65 71
275 Catriona Matthew & Krystle Caithness (Sco) 69 69 67 70
277 Tania Elosegui & Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa) 66 65 73 73
278 Maria Verchenova & Anastasia Kostina (Rus) 71 68 65 74, Becky Brewerton & Breanne Loucks (Wal) 69 70 66 73
279 Anja Monke & Bettina Hauert (Ger) 70 71 68 70
280 Karen Stupples & Melissa Reid (Eng) 71 69 69 71, Christel Boeljon & Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned) 68 69 71 72
281 Stefanie Michl & Nicole Gergely (Aut) 66 72 70 73
283 Ursula Wikstrom & Jenni Kuosa (Fin) 73 69 69 72
287 Caroline Rominger & Frederique Seeholzer (Swi) 71 71 70 75
289 Rebecca Coakley & Hazel Kavanagh (Irl) 72 75 72 70, Cecilie Lundgreen & Caroline Martens larsen (Nor) 72 71 73 73