McCook completes Welsh-Irish double at Baltray
Hannah McCook (Scotland) winner of the 2018 Irish Women's Open Strokeplay Championship at Co Louth Golf Club. Picture by Pat Cashman
Scotland's Hannah McCook completed a famous double when she added the Irish Women’s Open Stroke Play Championship to her recent win in the Welsh event.
Leading by a stroke overnight from Romy Meekers, she closed with a one-under 73 at Baltray to win by two strokes from the Dutch player, who shot 74, on one-over 223.
Lisburn's Paula Grant and England's Ebonie Lewis closed with one-over 75s to finish five shots behind the Scot in a tie for third on six-over 228.
Hannah McCook (Scotland). Picture: Golffile | Fran Caffrey
“This is very weird! I’m not quite sure what’s happening!” said McCook, who claimed the Clarrie Reddan and Philomena Garvey Trophy after matching Olivia Mehaffey's feat of 2016 by winning the Welsh and Irish Open Strokeplay titles back-to-back.
“To have won one was amazing but to now have two, wow.”
McCook birdied the first and sixth to extend her overnight lead, then followed a bogey seventh with a birdie four at the ninth to head down the back nine with a two-shot lead.
She saw her lead reduced to just one shot when she found one of Co. Louth’s newly redesigned pot bunkers at the 11th and dropped a shot.
But with her mother proving a calming influence on her bag, she parred the last seven holes to win by two.
“I felt a lot more comfortable out there today. It was a different way to win having done it in a playoff last week," she said.
"So once I got off to a fast start, and Romy struggled a small bit I just kept trying to make pars and not do anything too silly.”
“I’ve won a couple of Uni events, but this is the first time I have found some form in an International sense.
Paula Grant (Lisburn) on the 14th green during the final round of the 2018 Irish Women's Open Strokeplay Championship at Co Louth Golf Club. Picture by Pat Cashman
"At the beginning of the year my goal was to win but to have done so twice in a row is just amazing. Last week I was in tears when I won, but this week I am just in shock!
“Having Mum on the bag is great, I make most of my own decisions about what shots to play but being Type 1 Diabetic, she keeps me fed or hands me a drink when I need it, it means I can focus on the golf!”
England's Lewis, Caitlin Whitehead and Sophie Lamb won the International Team event.
Irish Women's Open Strokeplay, County Louth GC (Par 74)
223 H McCook (Sco) 81 69 73;
225 R Meekers (Ned) 81 70 74;
228 E Lewis (Eng) 83 70 75; P Grant (Lisburn) 79 74 75;
230 S Lamb (Eng) 81 75 74; C McGinty (Eng) 81 72 77;
232 G Batty (Sco) 85 73 74; C Gainer (Eng) 81 78 73;
234 K Lanigan (Hermitage) 84 76 74; M Giles (Eng) 83 80 71; E Corcoran (Grange) 82 77 75;
235 C Manzalini (Ita) 85 75 75;
236 D Harry (Wal) 86 74 76; E Briggs (Sco) 84 75 77; J Ryan (Wal) 80 78 78;
237 A Nobilio (Ita) 91 75 71; J Hall (Eng) 91 74 72; I Holpfer (Aut) 91 70 76; G Carr (Milltown) 87 76 74; S Burke (Ballinrobe) 86 74 77; G Allman (Eng) 86 74 77; L Walsh (Castlewarden) 85 74 78; C Goadby (Sco) 82 74 81;
238 C Royston (RSA) 80 76 82;
239 D Smith (Co. Louth) 86 72 81;
240 A Foster (Elm Park) 93 69 78; L Jones (Wal) 85 74 81; C Whitehead (Eng) 84 72 84; L Murray (Delgany) 79 81 80;
241 B Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) 88 75 78; O Kelly (Wal) 86 77 78; B Bjornsdottir (Ice) 81 81 79;
242 C Worby (Wal) 90 74 78; V Clancy (Killarney) 89 75 78;
243 A Sawyer (Eng) 85 77 81; L Temple Lang (Elm Park) 84 82 77;
245 A Fanali (Ita) 94 75 76; F Tynan (Wal) 88 78 79; C Leathem (Eng) 88 78 79; K O’ Neill (Douglas) 85 78 82; K Dwyer (Rossmore) 82 81 82;
246 L Hillier (Wal) 90 76 80; E Healey (Eng) 86 80 80; S Byrne (Douglas) 82 85 79;
247 K O’Connor (Wal) 91 77 79; E Forbes (Royal Portrush) 84 79 84;
248 L Belmati (Mor) 91 78 79;
249 R McDonnell (Elm Park) 89 76 84; J Ross (Clandeboye) 86 82 81; O Purfield-Goulding (Co Louth) 86 77 86;
250 L Simpson (Massereene) 90 79 81;
255 J Browne (Kilkenny) 85 84 86.
CUT
170 B Rook (Eng) 90 80; M Doyle (The Heath) 89 81; L Bramwell (Wal) 87 83;
171 R Barton (Wal) 92 79;
172 E Thorne (Elm Park) 89 83;
173 A O'Riordan (Eng) 91 82;
175 B O'Keeffe (Eng) 91 84; K Coey (Clandeboye) 89 86;
176 D McCooke (Galgorm Castle) 94 82;
177 G Price (Eng) 97 80;
178 L Masding (Old Conna) 95 83; S Crowe (Naas) 94 84;
181 N Borg (Swe) 93 88;
186 S Burke (Mullingar) 95 91.
