Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) has won the Irish Girls’ Close Championship at Galway Golf Club. Leading from the start, Coulter won the Muwick Cup for best stroke play qualifier with rounds of 72 and 74.

That would not be the only silverware for her to take home as she also secured the Violet Haslett Cup as best under sixteen and the big one – the Black Cup.

The Kirkistown Castle native needed no more than sixteen holes in any of her matches this week, it was a different story for her fellow finalist Sara Byrne. Byrne, who had been three ahead with three holes to play in her semi-final match, needed 24 holes to book herself into the final. Aine Donegan’s comeback included a birdie on the 17^th and a chip in on the 18^th and when the first five extra holes were halved in pars, Byrne’s 30-foot eagle putt on the 6^th was needed to break the stalemate.

In the final, Coulter was 3 up through six holes but another eagle from Byrne on 7 was followed by a birdie on the 8^th. Coulter had to refocus.

‘Walking down the 10^th I was thinking if I can be 4 under and she beats me then fair play, well done. Four under did the job this morning against Anna [Foster]. I birdied 10, 12, 13, 14 and then had a chance on 16, I only needed a par but I was trying still trying to make it!’

Coulter and Byrne played in the final of the Irish Girls Champioinship Pat Fletcher Trophy (Plate) in 2016, on that occasion the match went to the 22^nd hole. So how does it feel now to be an Irish Girls’ Champion at the age of fifteen?

‘It feels so weird, I was actually getting quite emotional walking up to the green there. Once Sara got ahead I was worried – but I knew I was playing well enough that I could bring it back so I was just trying to make as many birdies as possible and I got the job done in the end.’

Coulter’s secret weapon this week was a local caddy – Alan Conneely.

‘Oh my god, he was unbelievable all week. He knows this place inside out, every blade of grass. He caddied for me in the practice round and all week so has only known me for five days but he knows all my yardages and everything now, so he was so helpful.’

Anna Dawson (Tramore) was winner of the Pat Fletcher Trophy second flight as she beat Emma Fenlon (Grange) on the 20^th having been three down with five holes to play. 

Both Coulter and Dawson will now travel to the Czech Republic on Monday morning to represent Ireland at the European Young Masters.

The 2020 Irish Girls’ Close Championship will be held at Strandhill, Co. Sligo from July 14 – 18.

Press Results

CHAMPIONSHIP

FINAL

Coulter beat Byrne 3&2

SEMI FINAL

Coulter beat Foster 2&1; Byrne beat Donegan 24th

QUARTER FINAL

Coulter beat O’Hara 8&7; Browne lost to Foster 19th; Byrne beat Masding 3&2; Donegan beat Lanigan 20th

ROUND 1

Coulter beat Screene 4&3; Harty lost to O’Hara 4&3; Griffin lost to Browne 2&1; Foster beat N. Joyce-Moreno 2&1; Byrne beat Murray 2&1; Temple Lang lost to Masding 1 hole; Donegan beat M. Joyce-Moreno 4&3; Hegarty lost to Lanigan 1 hole 

PLATE

FINAL

Fenlon lost to Dawson 20th

SEMI FINAL

Greham lost to Fenlon 4&3; O’Grady lost to Dawson 4&2

QUARTER FINAL

Thorne lost to Greham 4&3; Poots lost to Fenlon 1 hole; K. Fleming lost to O’Grady 2&1; Dawson beat E. Fleming 3&2

ROUND 1

Kelly lost to Thorne 19th; Greham beat Shippam 3&1; Sharkey lost to Poots 3&1; Fenlon beat Bowler 3&2; Park lost to K. Fleming 1 hole; Wall lost to O’Grady 6&5; Gordon lost to Dawson 8&7; Fleming beat O’Dwyer 3&1

LAST 32 RESULTS

Coulter beat Kelly; 6&4; Thorne lost to Screene 23rd; Greham lost to Harty 1 hole; O’Hara beat Shippam 2&1; Griffin beat Sharkey 4&2; Browne beat Poots 1 hole; Foster beat Fenlon 5&3; N. Joyce-Moreno beat Bowler 2 holes; Byrne beat Park 6&4; K. Fleming lost to Murray 2&1; Temple Lang beat Wall 5&3; Masding beat O’Grady 1 hole; Donegan beat Gordan 4&3; M. Joyce-Moreno beat Dawson 2&1; Fleming lost to Hegarty 19th; Lanigan beat O’Dwyer 7&6

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