Sexton leads Close qualifiers as Lahinch yields three aces

Lahinch's Sinead Sexton, picture during the recent the Irish Women's Open Strokeplay at The Island, lead the Irish Women's Close quaiifiers on her home course. Picture: Ronan Lang

Home hero Sinead Sexton led the qualifiers for the Irish Women’s Close Championship as a quality field produced three holes-in-one over the famous old links at Lahinch 

With the immaculate championship course set up at 5,968 yards, Lahinch international Sexton took advantage of perfect conditions to shot rounds of 70 and 74 and lead the 32 qualifiers by three strokes from Castletroy’s Chloe Ryan on four under 144.

A gloriously sunny day was marked by three hole in ones though just one of the protagonists made it into the first round draw.

Killarney duo Catriona Griffin (qualifier) and Claire Keating both holed out with five irons on the eighth and 15th respectively while Ennis’ Shannon Hegarty aced the fifth with a nine-iron.

Skerries’ Curtis Cup call up Maria Dunne qualified in third spot on level par after rounds of 70 and 78 while title favourite and world No 9 Olivia Mehaffey (74-76) was tied fifth with Sarah Cunningham on two over, one behind Warrenpoint’s Louise Coffey.

Irish Women’s Close Championship, Lahinch

Round one draw - Friday, 13 May

1. 09:00 Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) V Valerie Shannon (Lahinch)
2. 09:09 Paula Walsh (Doneraile) V Anne McCormack (Naas)
3. 09:18 Valerie Clancy (Killarney) V Lisa O'Shea (Shannon)     
4. 09:27 Nicola Coffey (Woodbrook) V Sara Byrne (Douglas)     
5. 09:36 Louise Coffey (Malone) V Gillian O'Leary (The Island)     
6. 09:45 Mary Doyle (The Heath) V Aedin Murphy (Carlow)   
7. 09:54 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) V Ellen O'Gorman (Milltown)   
8. 10:03 Niamh McSherry (Lurgan) V Georgia Carr (Milltown) 
9. 10:12 Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) V Olivia Lucas (Lahinch)     
10. 10:21 Catriona Griffin (Killarney) V Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe)     
11. 10:30 Orla Dunphy (Kilkenny) V Aoife Lowry (Tipperary)     
12. 10:39 Rachel Thompson (Cork) V Maeve Rooney (Co. Sligo)     
13. 10:48 Maria Dunne (Skerries) V Clodagh Jones (Roscrea)     
14. 10:57 Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) V Elisa Corcoran (Grange)     
15. 11:06 Olivia Mehaffey (RCDL) V Linda Toomey (Lahinch)     
16. 11:15 Mairead Martin (Killarney) V Karen Delaney (Carlow)

Round 1&2 – Par 74 SSS 77 CSS R1 & R2 77 – 12/05/16

Detailed scores

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 (RCDL) 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

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

RET Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) 84 Rtd