Coffey leads qualifiers again

Alison Coffey produced a marvellous three-under-par 72 - a course record - to retain the Leitrim Cup as the leading qualifier in the Lancome Irish Ladies Close Championship at The European Club.

The Warrenpoint golfer, who defends her title this week, mirrored last year's achievement of leading the qualification for the matchplay phase of the tournament. The top 32 players advance to compete for the Irish Close title, while the next 16 golfers will contest the Ita Wallace Trophy.

Coffey's two-round total of level-par 150 was one shot clear of overnight leader Elaine Dowdall, who added a one-over-par 76 to Wednesday's 75. Coffey's course record was later equalled by Strabane's Helen Jones and the two Ulster golfers were able to discuss the finer points of their rounds long into the night as they are sharing a house near the course with Emma Dickson and Naoimh Quigg.

Both players were five under the card at one stage during their respective rounds as they belied more severe wind conditions than had prevailed the previous day.

Coffey birdied the fourth following a drive, three-iron and two putts but conceded a shot to the course on the seventh when three putting. However, she responded immediately with a birdie on the eight, holing a right to left putt down the slope from 10 feet and at the ninth, playing downwind, hit a drive and nine-iron at the par-five to 10 feet and holed the putt for an eagle.

Birdies on the 12th and 13th took her to five under and there was little inclination of the problems that surfaced on the 15th when she cracked a drive down the middle. However she came over the top of a seven-iron ending up in a bunker, thinned the recovery and three putted for a double bogey. Pars on the final three holes saw her record a brilliant round nonetheless.

Jones birdied three of the first six holes, her longest putt a 12-foot effort on the sixth. Bogeys on the seventh and eight arrested her progress but, like Coffey, she managed an eagle on the ninth; a three-wood and six-iron to 15 feet setting up the opportunity of which she availed. Birdies on the 11th and 12th, the highlight being a five-iron to two inches on the 11th, took the Strabane golfer to five-under.

Unfortunately, three bogeys in succession from the 14th, two attributable to three putting, saw her slip back before a two putt birdie on the home green allowed her a share of the course record.

There were two noted major casualties - SinΘad Keane and Oonagh Purfield in terms of the pre-tournament form guide, although the presence of Irish golf legend Mary McKenna showed that she harbours no ill effects now that she is a lady of leisure, having retired from Bank of Ireland last week.