Maguire twins into last eight at Irish Women's Close
Defending champion Leona Maguire battled her way into the quarter-finals of the Lancome Irish Women’s Close Championship thanks to a pair of 4 and 3 wins at Portstewart.
The Slieve Russell star, who will join her twin Lisa in next month’s Curtis Cup in Boston, was three down after six holes in her first round match with Donabate’s Pat Doran but birdied the eighth, 11th, 13th and 14th to win with three holes to spare
In the afternoon she was all square with international Helen Jones through the turn but nudged ahead at the 10th before birdies at the par-five 13th and 14th gave her a quarter-final date with Charlene Reid of Royal Portrush.
Sister Lisa beat Woodbrook’s Sandra Atkinson 4 and 3 in her opening match and then exacted revenge on Bangor’s Victoria Bradshaw for last year’s defeat in this championship with victory at the 20th.
Bradshaw was one up with two to play but Leona levelled the match at the 17th, holed a lengthy putt at the 18th to force sudden death and then birdied the second extra hole to clinch a quarter-final showdown with Royal Portrush’s Maura Diamond.
The 2007 champion, Karen Delaney, will face Malone’s Louise Coffey with Co. Louth’s Jenny Gannon taking on Mary Dowling of New Ross thanks to a resounding 6 and 5 win over Greencastle’s Gemma McClenaghan.
Lancome Irish Women’s Close, Portstewart
Quarter-finals - Tuesday 25 May
09:00 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) -v- Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush)
09:09 Louise Coffey (Malone) -v- Karen Delaney (Carlow)
09:18 Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) -v- Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush)
09:27 Jenny Gannon (Co. Louth) -v- Mary Dowling (New Ross)
Second round - Monday 24 May
Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) bt Helen Jones (Strabane) 4&3
Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) bt Niamh Kitching (Limerick) 2&1
Louise Coffey (Malone) bt Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) 4&3
Karen Delaney (Carlow) bt Gemma McClenaghan (Greencastle) 6&5
Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) bt Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) on 20th
Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush) bt Karen O’Niell (Douglas) 6&4
Jenny Gannon (Co. Louth) bt Maria Dunne (Skerries) 2&1
Mary Dowling (New Ross) bt Sinead O’Sullivan (Galway) 2&1
First round - Monday 24th May
Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) bt Pat Doran (Donabate) 4&3
Helen Jones (Strabane) bt Sue Phillips (Woodbrook) 6&5
Niamh Kitching (Limerick) bt Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint) 3&2
Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) bt Amy Farrell (Moate) 2&1
Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) bt Kate Gallagher (Claremorris) 4&3
Louise Coffey (Malone) bt Anne McCormack (Roscommon) 4&3
Gemma McClenaghan (Greencastle) bt Jenny Hennessy (Ennis) 7&6
Karen Delaney (Carlow) bt Holly Robinson (Co. Sligo) 2&1
Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) bt Sandra Atkinson (Woodbrook) 4&3
Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) bt Violet McBride (Belvoir Park) 2&1
Karen O’Neill (Douglas) bt Laura McCarthy (Muskerry) 6&5
Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush) bt Lesley Hemphill (Portstewart) 1up
Jennifer Gannon (Co. Louth) bt Naoimh Quigg (City of Derry) 5&4
Maria Dunne (Skerries) bt Vivienne Houston (City of Derry) 4&3
Mary Dowling (New Ross) bt Gillian O’Leary (Cork) 2&1
Sinead O’Sullivan (Galway) bt Gertie McMullen (The Island) 20th
Ita Wallace Trophy (Plate)
Semi Finals - Tuesday 25 May
09:36 Caroline Murphy (Grange) -v- Jessica Carty (Holywood)
09:45 Lisa McMeekin (Massereene) -v- Sarah Helly (Enniscrone)
Quarter Finals - Monday 24 May
Caroline Murphy (Grange) bt Niamh O’Connor (Woodbrook) on 19th
Jessica Carty (Holywood) bt Linda Toomey (Limerick) 2up
Lisa McMeekin (Massereene) bt Kate Evans (Frilford Heath) 3&2
Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) bt Nicola Coffey (Woodbrook) 2up
First round
Caroline Murphy (Grange) bt Louise Hanratty (Mannan Castle) 2&1
Niamh O’Connor (Woodbrook) bt Aisling Parker (Greenore) 5&4
Jessica Carty (Holywood) bt Hannah Henderson (Ballyclare) 2up
Linda Toomey (Limerick) bt Melanie Mitchell (Royal Portrush) 2up
Lisa McMeekin (Massereene) bt Roisin Brady (Mannan Castle) 6&4
Kate Evans (Frilford Heath) bt Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire) 3&2
Nicola Coffey (Woodbrook) bt Marilyn Henderson (Castlerock) 3&2
Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) bt Ann Monteith (Castlehume) 4&3