Olivia Mehaffey bows out at semi-final stage at Portstewart

Olivia Mehaffey failed on Saturday in her bid to become the second Irish winner of the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship in four years.

The hugely talented 17-year-old from Royal County Down, who has already this season lifted the Welsh and Scottish Ladies Open stroke-play titles as well as the Irish Girls, was beaten 5&4 in the semi-finals at Portstewart by Sweden’s Linea Strom.

Strom, aged 18, was subsequently defeated 4&3 in the windswept 18-hole final by Celine Boutier who was Leona Maguire's predecessor as number one in the world rankings.

Boutier became the eighth French-born winner since the championships began in 1893 but the first for 16 years.

Mehaffey, bidding to follow in the footsteps of Stephanie Meadow who won at Carnoustie in 2012, always faced an uphill task in her semi-final against a player with a handicap of + 4.9 - the lowest of the handicaps of any of the last four players.

Strom won four holes in a row from the fourth courtesy of three birdies and a par to take a grip of the match- the Irish teenager won the ninth to reduce the defecit to three but made a mess of the 11th and was forced to concede the hole.

The Swede went five up with six to play with her fourth birdie of the round at the short 12th and two birdies after that settled the issue.

Strom was unable to reproduce her semi-final form in the clash with Boutier and won only two holes.

Boutier now qualifies for the British Women’s Open,the US Women’s Open and the Evian Masters.

She said: “I am absolutely delighted. I have played really well this week but now I am tired.”