EUROPEAN WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP:LISA MAGUIRE continued the amazing run of Irish golfing success when she lifted the European Women's Amateur individual title in difficult conditions in the Netherlands on Saturday.
Just six days after Darren Clarke lifted the Claret Jug as winner of the British Open at Sandwich, the 16-year-old from Ballyconnell in Co Cavan was striking gold over the Noordwijkse course.
She became the first Irish winner of this prestigious tournament since it was inaugurated in 1986.
“My twin sister, Leona, had already won twice this year,” Lisa said. “In Portugal and in Ireland. I had only one victory, in the Spanish Amateur. So we’re even now. And this European title was the one I really wanted.”
Remarkably, Stephanie Meadow of Royal Portrush produced one of the best final rounds to grab the silver medal. Leona finished fourth.
Lisa found the windy conditions tough on Saturday and stumbled a little, but never seriously looked in danger of surrendering her hard-earned advantage.
“It was tough,” Lisa added. “It was one of the toughest days ever on a golf course. I knew that making as many pars as possible was going to be the key today. Especially when Charlotte came a bit closer. But I was able to pull it off.”
She went into the final round fours strokes clear of the field but dropped a stroke on the opening hole.
Later she extended her lead to eight, but was pegged back to three at one stage.
Out in 38, Lisa had one hand on the trophy.
She did bogey 10 and 13, but her rivals were also dropping shots which meant she remained in pole position.
And in the end the teenage wonder could afford a double-bogey on the closing hole and post a homeward half of 41 and still win by four strokes.
Lisa ended with a 72-hole aggregate of 293 – five over par – after rounds of 73, 68, 73 and 79, while the rapidly-improving Meadow was on 297 with rounds of 78, 71, 75 and 73.
In her final round she had 11 pars, four bogeys and three birdies.
Leona Maguire ended on 12 over par, just two strokes behind the bronze medallist Charlotte Kring Lorentzen.
Danielle McVeigh, the 2009 British Women’s strokeplay champion from Royal County Down, moved up 10 places on the final day finishing on 21 over par.
Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open Amateur strokeplay champion Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) was the highest placed English player in joint seventh place with scores of 75, 79, 76 and 74 for 304.
Welsh teenager and Vagliano Trophy team selection Amy Boulden finished joint 17th on 308 with scores of 76, 76, 79 and 77.
Norway’s flag was lowered to half mast because of the attacks in and near Oslo, but the only remaining player of the Scandinavian country still completed the last round, Nicoline Skaug, finished 23rd.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS Par 72
293- Lisa Maguire (Ire) 73 68 73 69.
297- Stephanie Meadow (Ire) 78 71 75 73.
298- Charlotte Lorentzen (Den) 74 70 75 79.
300- Leona Maguire (Ire) 73 75 72 80.
SELECTED TOTALS: 304- Charlotte Ellis (Eng) 756 79 76 74 (T7).
309- Sally Watson (Sco) 73 81 75 80 (T19).
317- Kelsey MacDonald (Sco) 79 71 84 83 (T48).
318- Becky Harries (Wal) 79 78 80 81.
Withdrew: Pamela Pretswell (Sco) 74 79 75 wd.
