Favourites decide to make an early move

Alison Coffey conjured a remarkable opening round to substantiate her claim as one of the favourites for the Irish Women's Close Championship, sponsored by Lancome, at Co Louth Golf Club yesterday. On a day when the majority of the 62 entrants toiled on the sun-hardened fairways and greens of a resplendent Baltray links, the 27-year-old Warrenpoint golfer manufactured a magnificent three-underpar 72, a round that included six birdies.

The warm sunshine was accompanied by only a light easterly breeze. But those that strayed from the fairways found the rough penal, and the bunkers were always in play off the tee.

Coffey, though, experienced few pitfalls as she maintained the form which allowed her to retain the Ulster Championship on the Valley course at Royal Portrush last week.

Following a solid start, the Irish international dipped under the card at the par five third. A booming drive was followed by a six-iron to 12 feet and a two-putt birdie. She dropped a shot on the par three fifth, when she failed to get up and down, but enjoyed better fortune on the next par three, the seventh, holing from 35 feet.

Coffey completed the last two holes of the front nine in level par, albeit with a bogey on the eighth and a birdie on the next, the latter as a result of a drive, seven-iron and two putts. Turning one under, she birdied 11 and 13, on the first occasion holing from 12 feet and then two putting from the front apron: her affinity for the par fives would provide one further birdie.

She laid up on the 18th, finishing 10 yards from the green, and confirmed her exemplary short game with a pitch and putt birdie. The only time she sullied her card on the back nine was on the par four 14th, when she underhit a pitch and run shot.

The Ulster golfer was understandably delighted: "I played very solidly from start to finish," she said. "You needed good course management out there and a lot of concentration. It's a really tough, really good golf course. "It's easy to get into trouble, particularly off the tee because the landing areas are so well bunkered. You have to be sensible.

"It's very early days. It is now a question of going through the same pre-shot routine and hopefully continuing to strike the ball well."

Coffey's form suggests that it will be difficult to prevent her from winning the Leitrim Cup, awarded to the leading golfer from the 36-hole strokeplay qualifying: the top 32 then enter a matchplay format to decide the champion.

Coffey's nearest adversary is Curtis Cup squad member Suzanne O'Brien (Coffey is first reserve for the match against the Americans next month at Ganton), who shot an excellent, one-under-par 74.

But it could have been so much better, as O'Brien was four under the card with three holes remaining: three bogeys provided a disappointing finish.

The highlight of the Milltown player's round was an eagle three at the ninth, when she hit a drive and eight-iron and holed a 10-foot putt. A birdie on the 12th took her to four under, but three putts on both 16 and 17 arrested the gallop. On the 18th she took two to get out of a fairway bunker and finished with a third consecutive bogey.

The quality of her golf in general hardly merited such a profligate finish, but she wasn't too disappointed.

"I was very happy with the way I hit the ball. I reached most of the par fives in two, but found the greens very quick. I didn't do much wrong. On the 16th, I left myself a very long first putt, while on the 17th the first one was very tricky. At this stage it is all about qualifying."

Donabate's Pat Doran shot a fine one-over-par 76, while local golfer Jennifer Gannon was one shot further back. Oonagh Purfield and Mandy Gillen finished on 78, while last year's winner of the Leitrim Cup, Lillian Behan, managed a 79. Defending champion Claire Coughlan of Cork shot a six-over-par 81.

First Round

72 - A Coffey (Warrenpoint).

74 - S O'Brien (Milltown).

76 - P Doran (Donabate).

77 - J Gannon (Co Louth).

78 - O Purfield (Co Louth), Martina Gillen (Beaverstown).

79 - T Mangan (Ennis), L Behan (Curragh).

80 - M Sheehy (Tralee).

81 - C Coughlan (Cork), E Dickson (Royal Co Down), A Kilmartin (Warrenpoint).

82 - Y Cassidy (Dundalk), E McMullan (Donegal), J Bradley (North West), N Quigg (City of Derry), H Jones (Strabane), A Doggett (Co Louth), S Keane (Curragh).

83 - K Murphy (Malahide), E Gallagher (Claremorris), P Delaney (Elm Park).

84 - D Smith (Co Louth), S O'Brien Kenney (Grange), F Healy (Headfort), H Kavanagh (Grange), A Taylor (Malahide).

85 - M Morrin (Naas), A Thompson (Douglas).

86 - B Gleeson Healy (Killarney), Emily Butler (Donabate), S Mullaney (Co Louth).

87 - M Abernethy (Grange), C Armanasco (Christy O Connor), J O'Sullivan (Milltown), S Hayes (Hermitage), L O'Brien (Claremorris), M Kenny (Skerries), G Ryan (The Island), D McCarthy (Woodenbridge), C Smyth (Massereene).

88 - J Quinn (Co Louth), S Heraty (Castle), T De Courcey (Connemara), K Yates (Co Louth).

89 - C Cahill (Hermitage), M Mulcahy (Killarney), A McCauley (Laytown & Bettystown).

91 - M Hayes (Tralee), J McCauley (Dunmurry), A Hayden (Foxrock).

92 - A McCartan (Greenore), M Quinn (Dundalk).

94 - M McCabe (Headfort), I Murphy (Cork).

95 - M Stanley (Howth), P McAllister (Laytown & Bettystown).

96 - M Geaney (Killarney), P McCarthy (Grange).

97 - B Kennedy (Malahide), R Howell (Co Louth).

102 - M O'Doherty (Killarney).