Julie McCarthy just four off the pace in Portugal
Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little) during the final of 2016 Irish Girls Close Championship at Kilkenny Golf Club. Picture by Pat Cashman
Forrest Little’s Julie Carthy fired a level par 72 to move into a tie for eighth at the halfway stage of the Portuguese International Ladies Amateur Championship at Montado.
Also playing out of The Island, the Dubliner overcame an early season wrist injury last year and went on to win the Ulster, Leinster, Irish and Connacht Girls’ Championships before officially signing up to play for Auburn University in Alabama from 2018.
Her start to 2017 looks promising after she mixed three birdies with three bogeys in a 72 to trail leader Letizia Bagnoli of Italy by just four shots in an event where the top 40 and ties after Friday’s third round will make the cut.
Bagnoli posted a second round 73 to lead by a shot on four under par from Denmark’s Line Toft Hansen (73) with Swedes Julia Engstrom (73) and Frida Kinhult (74) two behind on two under.
Six of the seven-strong Irish contingent are inside the projected cut mark heading into the crucial third round with Lurgan’s Annabel Wilson (74-74) tied 23rd on four over alongside Castletroy’s Chloe Ryan (72-76).
87th Portuguese International Ladies Amateur Championship, Montado
1 Letizia Bagnoli ITA -4 140 67 73
2 Line Toft Hansen DEN -3 141 68 73
3 Julia Engstrom SWE -2 142 69 73
4 Frida Kinhult SWE -2 142 68 74
5 Zhen Bontan NED -1 143 73 70
6 Samantha Fuller ENG -1 143 69 74
7 Gioia Carpinelli SUI PAR 144 69 75
8 Agathe Laisne FRA +1 145 74 71
9 Beatrice Wallin SWE +1 145 73 72
10 Julie McCarthy IRL +1 145 73 72
26 Annabel Wilson IRL +4 148 74 74
29 Chloe Ryan IRL +4 148 72 76
31 Valerie Clancy IRL +5 149 74 75
34 Maria Dunne IRL +6 150 76 74
42 Georgia Carr IRL +7 151 75 76
67 Sinead Sexton IRL +12 156 77 79
