The devilish wind that swept across Carlow Golf Club yesterday didn't only torment the participants, it also conspired to produce the unexpected. There may have been a touch of the predictable about two former Curtis Cup players - Lillian Behan, the defending champion, and Eileen Rose Power, a three-time winner - advancing to the last four of the Lancome Irish Women's Close Championship, but on a day of contrasts that was about it.
In stark comparisons to happenings in the top part of the draw, the bottom-half was completely thrown on its head. Four current internationals (Tricia Mangan, Michelle McGreevy, Oonagh Purfield and Susie O'Brien) had all crashed out before lunchtime and later in the day, when the dust had settled after the quarterfinals, Claire Coughlan, a 19-year-old junior international, and Belvoir Park's Bronagh Lunney, surprising even herself, had negotiated a route into the semi-finals.
Both Coughlan and Lunney produced some exceptionally fine golf in difficult conditions to earn a semi-final tilt at each other today (9.09 a.m), with the Behan-Power semi-final preceding them by nine minutes. The final is scheduled for 1.30 p.m.
Cork teenager Coughlan confirmed her rich talent with a 3 and 2 win over Mangan, despite being two down after just three holes, in their second round match and then demonstrated her resilience again when beating Miriam Abernethy (Grange) on the final green in the quarter-final. It was the first time Coughlan had nosed in front, but her timing couldn't have been better.
Lunney's advancement was even more unexpected. Yesterday morning, the former Bronagh McCann (she got married in February) caused a real upset when beating last year's finalist Purfield by 3 and 2, and she then also ended her quarter-final with Sinead Keane on the 16th green.
Her rich vein of form has come out of the blue. "I haven't played too much so far this season," she confirmed. However, the Belfast player gave a hint of her potential when finishing second qualifier in last week's Ulster championship (before losing in the second round) and, yesterday, she played the type of "steady golf" that just happened to feature a number of birdies.
Indeed, most of the tingling nerve ends came in Power's quarter-final duel with Emma Dickson, a mathematics graduate from St Andrews. The match swung like a pendulum, and was only decided when Power sank an 18 footer for birdie at the second tie hole.
Dickson had actually edged into a two-hole lead standing on the 13th tee - but Power won the 14th and 15th to level matters and, then, went ahead at the short 17th where her opponent overclubbed in the extremely tricky wind. However, Power's club slipped in her hands as she drove off the 18th and, to Dickson's credit, she produced a winning birdie to force extra holes for the second time in the day.
Behan's progress was exemplary. A 3 and 2 win over former international Deirdre Walsh in the morning was followed up with a 2 and 1 win over another former international Yvonne Cassidy in the afternoon.
