Coffey escapes at tie hole

Alison Coffey is safely ensconced in the last 16 of the Lancome Irish Ladies Close Championship at The European Club but the relief she felt when closing out yesterday's match against Enniscrone's Michelle Homes on the 19th was tangible. Her opponent had produced a stunning back nine that included two eagles to take the match into extra holes.

It was not as if Coffey - the defending champion and Leitrim Cup holder as leading qualifier - was producing shabby golf on the inward nine holes. The Warrenpoint golfer came home in four under the card but that was only good enough to extend the match .

One down at the turn, Holmes faltered briefly losing the 10th and 11th to regulation figures before registering a second eagle on the 12th. The pair halved the 13th in par, the 14th in birdie twos and the 15th in par once again.

The 16th provided the seminal moment in Coffey's subsequent victory. She holed a superb 15-foot downhill putt for a half in par.

Two down with two to play, Holmes demonstrated her resilience when holing from 20 feet on the 17th for birdie and a win and on the par five 18th, caressed her eight-iron second shot to three and a half feet. Coffey was conceded a birdie but Holmes holed out nervelessly for a third eagle.

Holmes found the rough on the left from her tee shot, her opponent hitting a great drive down the left side of the fairway. The Enniscrone girl was forced to hack out onto the fairway and when Coffey rifled a three-iron onto the green, Holmes was in serious trouble.

Her five-wood found the front bunker and when she thinned her shot from the sand to the back of the green, the contest was all but over.

Coffey putted to two and a half feet past the cup and when Holmes failed to hole from the back of the green, she conceded the match. It was a thoroughly entertaining encounter that defied the strong winds.

Mary McKenna and ThΘrΦse O'Reilly struck a blow for the more mature competitors. The upsets were delivered by Una Marsden, who ousted Deirdre Smith, and Mary Dowling who defeated Kent State University student Martina Gillen.