Irish Ladies' Strokeplay Championship: Cork's Claire Coughlan won her first Suzuki-sponsored Irish Ladies' Strokeplay Championship at Rathsallagh Golf Club yesterday when she added a final round of 74 for a total of 215 and a seven-shot winning margin over fellow international Maura Morrin from the Curragh.

Three years ago, the diminutive Coughlan was runner-up to Rebecca Coakley, who also won last year, but has since joined the professional ranks. But right from the start at Rathsallagh the Cork girl, a member of the Ireland team that beat Scotland for ninth place in the European women's team championship at Frankfurt recently, set her sights on the title.

In testing conditions on Saturday she was the only player in the field to beat the par of 73 and had six birdies in her second round 69, which put daylight between her and the international field. And again yesterday, despite the tough conditions and heavy rain, which caused play to be suspended for 25 minutes during the final round, Coughlan was always in control.

With a strong wind making club selection difficult, the former Irish girls' champion laid the foundation for her victory with an opening one-under-par 72 on Saturday and was even more impressive in the afternoon, shooting a four-under-par 69 to lead by three from Morrin, who was followed by Sinead Keane (146), Sue Phillips (149), Louise Kenney from Scotland (151) and the recently crowned Irish Close Champion, Martina Gillen (152).

In the second round, Coughan had halves of level-par 36 but came home in a blistering four-under-the-card 33. The Cork girl birdied the first and eighth on the way out and four birdies in a row from the 13th really put her in a commanding lead.

She got the birdie trail going when she holed from 15 feet at the 13th, wedged to a foot at the 14th, rolled in a 12-footer at the 15th and got down in a pitch and putt at the par-five 16th.

Coughlan played the best golf in all three rounds and a final 74 left her with a seven-shot cushion over Morrin, who finished with a 78 for 222. Another Curragh player, Sinead Keane, was three shots back in third place, with Kenney, from Pitreavie, Scotland, leading the visitors home in fourth place on 227 after rounds of 77, 74 and 76.

Gillen finished on 234 after a disappointing final round of 82 while in a busy week for them the Delaney sisters Karen and Tara had top-10 finishes on 235 and 236 respectively.

Karen, who beat Tara in Friday's final of the Irish girls close championship, had rounds of 78, 76 and 81, while Tara, a shot back on 236, had rounds of 82, 77 and 77.