Mairead Martin propels Louisville to Cardinal Cup win
Kanturk's Mairead Martin in action for the University of Louisville
Kanturk's Mairead Martin gave herself an early 20th birthday present when she finished tied second and helped the University of Louisville Cardinals win the 16th annual Cardinal Cup with a record score.
The Irish international closed with a three-under-par 69 at the University of Louisville Golf Club, which included four back-nine birdies, to finish just two strokes behind Sera Tadokoro from the University of Kansas on six-under-par.
The Cardinals show off their trophies
"It was a really great weekend," said Martin, who turns 20 on November 4. "I felt really comfortable out here and I enjoyed it a lot. I felt really proud of my performance, and especially the team's performance this weekend as well."
Louisville closed with an eight-under-par final day tally — nine shots better than the next best — to win the title by eight strokes from Kentucky at the University of Louisville Golf Club.
Now in her sophomore year, Mairead recorded two top-10 finishes and three top-20's in her freshman year last year.
She sank the winning putt in the 2017 Women's Home Internationals to give Ireland its first win since 2004
She also won the 2017 Irish Girls Close Championship and topped a magnificent season that year by helping Killarney win its first Senior Cup with a 4-1 win over Royal Portrush at Royal Curragh.
She is a two-time winner of the Leinster Ladies Championship, becoming the youngest winner at just 14 in 2014.
