Mehaffey makes huge world rankings leap

Olivia Mehaffey. Picture: Pat Cashman

Take a breather Leona Maguire, Olivia Mehaffey is leading this week's charge of the Irish women up the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

While Leona remains comfortably at No 1 in the R&A run list, 17-year old Olivia leapt 55 spots to a career high of 59th thanks to her run to the last four of the Ladies' British Amateur Open at Portstewart last weekend.

Lisburn's Paula Grant also made a massive move upwards, soaring 311 places to 149th as Skerries' Maria Dunne rose 104 places to 217th. Sinead Sexton and Jessica Ross also moved up the list.

Already a three time winner this year, Royal Co. Down Ladies‘ star Mehaffey also climbed into second place on the European Junior Solheim Cup Ranking, giving her a great chance of clinching a place in the European team for the match at St. Leon-Rot Golf Club on September 14-15.

The top six players on the European Ranking at the end of the qualification process all earn places in Iben Tinning’s team and Mehaffey earned 40 points for her performance at Portstewart which catapulted her into a share of second place in the Ranking alongside Sweden’s Elin Esborn and Germany’s Leonie Harm.

Esborn collected ten points at Portstewart after advancing to the third round before losing to Mehaffey’s countrywoman Paula Grant.

Mehaffey’s great run at Portstewart came to an end when she lost by 5 & 4 to future Arizona State team-mate and former PING Junior Solheim Cup player Linnea Ström from Sweden.

The top spot on the Ranking is currently held by France’s Agathe Laisne who moved into first place by reaching the final of this year’s French International Lady Juniors Championship at St. Cloud and then consolidated her position by finishing third behind Harm in the Allianz German Boys and Girls‘ Open at St. Leon-Rot Golf Club.

The Ladies‘ British Open Amateur Championship was the fourth qualifying event for this year’s PING Junior Solheim Cup.

Next up is  the European Girls’ Team Championship at Golf Resort Kaskada Brno, Czech Republic and the European Ladies’ Team Championship at Helsingør GC, Denmark (July 7-11) followed by the ANNIKA Invitational Europe at Bro-Bålsta GK, Sweden (August 4-6) before the qualification process is completed at the Girls’ British Open Championship at West Kilbride GC, Scotland, on August 10-14, 2015

As for the men's rankings. there were no major movers at the top end with Cormac Sharvin remaining as Ireland's highest ranked player in 26th.