Link to Irish women's open amateur stroke play draw, scoring

By CARLA REYNOLDS
Irish Golf Union

Hannah McCook from Grantown-on-Spey will take a one-shot lead into Sunday's final round of the Irish women’s open amateur stroke- play championship at County Louth Golf Club.

Hannah has an outstanding chance of pulling off a rare title double - recently she won the Welsh women's open amateur championship at Aberdovey.

The gale-force wind which blew the first-round scores sky high on Friday had disappeared and Hannah was able to follow her opening seven-over-par 81 with a five-under 69 today. McCook had an eagle at the par-5 third holes as well as a bag of six birdies.

“I hit it into 10 feet on the 2^nd hole and just missed for eagle, so following it up by hitting it close again on the 3^rd and managing to hole that one was nice,” explained the Stirling University graduate.

“I hit it really close again then on 4 and 5 to go 5 under through fove holes and was thinking to myself, OK Hannah, calm down now!”  Following a bogey on the 387yard 8^th, McCook birdied the 9^th, 13^th and 14^th to get back to 5 under and equal the best score of the day alongside Anna Foster (Elm Park).
“The birdies on 13 and 14 were both down to really good iron shots, I hit it into a couple feet both times. Winning last week in Wales has given me a huge boost so I am just riding the wave now and we will see what happens,” said Hannah.

Ireland's Curtis Cup selection Paula Grant, who led alongside compatriot Lauren Murray after day one, now finds herself tied for third position despite a level par round today: 

SECOND ROUND LEADING SCORES

150      H McCook (Scotland), 81, 69

151      R Meekers (Netherlands), 81, 70

153      E Lewis (England), 83, 70; C McGinty (England), 81, 72; P Grant (Lisburn), 79, 74

156      C Whitehead (England), 84, 72; C Goadby (Scotland), 82, 74; S Lamb (England), 81, 75; C Royston (South Africa), 80, 76

158      D Smith (Co. Louth), 86, 72; G Batty (Scotland), 85, 73; J Ryan (Wales), 80, 78

159      L Jones (Wales), 85, 74; L Walsh (Castlewarden), 85, 74; E Briggs (Scotland), 84, 75; E Corcoran (Grange), 82, 77; C Gainer (England), 81, 78

160      G Allman (England), 86, 74; D Harry (Wales), 86, 74; S Burke (Ballinrobe), 86, 74; C Manzalini (Italy), 85, 75; K Lanigan (Hermitage), 84, 76; L Murray (Delgany), 79, 81

Hannah McCook only two off the Irish lead despite an 81 

 Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey), recent winner of the Welsh women's open amateur stroke-play title, is still in with a chance of scoring an excellent double, despite an opening round of seven-over-par 81 in the Irish women's tournament at Co Louth Golf Club where the gale-force wind gusted over 50 mph at times.

She is only two shots off the lead, which is held by Curtis Cup selection Paula Grant (Lisburn) and another Irish player, Lauren Murray (Delgany). 

Stirling student Chloe Goadby (St Regulus) is also in the mix with an 82. 
Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) had an 84 and Gemma Batty (West Linton) an 85, none of these scores as "bad" as they might sound because of the three or even four-club wind. 

 In winds that gusted up to 65 km/h at one point, it is hard to believe that level par would have left you just outside the top 20 on this day last year on the same course. “That’s links golf for you” remarked one supporter.

IRISH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP Co Louth Golf Club. Par 74. CSS 77. 
79 P Grant (Lisburn), L Murray (Delgany). 
80 C Royston (S Africa), J Ryan (Wales) 
81 S Lamb (England), R Meekers (Netherlands), B Bjornsdottir (Iceland), H McCook (Grantown on Spey), C McGinty (England), C Gainer (England) 

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES 
82 C Goadby (St Regulus) (T13) 
84 E Briggs (Kilmacolm) (T23) 
85 G Batty (West Linton) (T27) 

Hannah McCook beats Curtis Cup player Sophie Lamb in play-off for Welsh open title

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Grantown on Spey's Hannah McCook beat England's Curtis Cup player Sophie Lamb (Clitheroe) at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off to win the Welsh women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Aberdovey Golf Club.
Both players had 54-hole totals of seven-under 212, finishing six strokes ahead of the three players who shared third place on 218,
Scot Chloe Goadby, another English Curtis Cup selection Lily May Humphreys and Thalia Kirby (Harleyford).

McCook, pictured, overnight leader by two shots, was pegged back by Lamb over the outward half of the final round, Hannah taking 34 shots to Sophie's 32. McCook then birdied the 10th, 12th and 13th to regain the lead but opened the door again for her rival by taking a double bogey 6 at the 14th and bogeying the 18th, coming home in 37 for a 71. Lamb birdieing the 10th and 14th. Her only bogey of the round came at the 11th in halves of 32 and 37 for a 69. But McCook prevailed in a sudden death play-off for one of the best wins of her amateur career. 

Scotland 1 (Hannah McCook, Shannon McWilliam, and Chloe Goadby) tied with England 1 (Georgia Price, Lily May Humphreys and Sophie Lamb) for the team championship. 

Both teams totalled 430. 
Placings: 
430 Scotland 1, England 1. 
436 England 2. 440 Scotland 2 
443 Ireland 1 
445 Wales 1 452 Wales 2 

 LEADING FINAL TOTALS AT ABERDOVEY Par 219 (3x73) SSS 77. CSS 76 76 

212 H McCook (Grantown on Spey) 71 70 71, S Lamb (Clitheroe) 69 74 69 (McCook won sudden death play-off at first extra hole). 
218 Chloe Goadby (St Regulus) 73 74 73, L M Humphreys (Stoke by Nayland) 74 74 70, T Kirby (Harleyford) 76 71 71. 
221 B-J Smith (Woodhall Spa) 74 75 72, P Grant (Lisburn) 73 75 73. 

 OTHER SCOTS' TOTALS 
224 E Briggs (Kilmacolm) 73 76 75 (T10) 
225 S McWilliam (Aboyne) 74 74 77, J Mackintosh (Hazlehead) 74 74 77 (T14) 
234 J Saxton (Muckhart) 74 82 78 (T38) 

 MISSED CUT (159 and better qualified) 161 K Beveridge (Aboyne) 84 77.
FULL SCOREBOARD 

Hannah McCook leads after 2nd round of the Welsh Open Amateur Championship

Scots are well the fore after two rounds of the Welsh women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Aberdovey Golf Club.

Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) leads the field by two strokes with scores of 71 and 70 for a five-under-par tally of 141.

Chloe Goadby (St Regulus) from St Andrews is in third place with scores of 70 and 74 for 144.

Gemma Batty (West Linton) is joint fifth on 147 with scores of 73 and 74.

WELSH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Aberdovey Golf Club. SECOND ROUND LEADERBOARD
par 146 (2x73) SSS 77 CSS 76 (Rd 1)
141 Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 71 70
143 Sophie Lamb (Clitheroe) 69 74.
144 Chloe Goadby (St Regulus) 70 74
146 D Harry (The Vale) 73 73
147 T Kirby (Harleyford) 76 71, G Batty (West Linton) 73 74, C McGinty (Knowle) 71 76
148 S McWilliam (Aboyne) 74 74, L M Humphreys (Stoke by Nayland) 74 74, G Price (Bude and N Cornwall) 74 74, P Grant (Lisburn) 73 75.

SELECTED SCORES
149 F Tynan (Minchinhampton) 76 73, E Briggs (Kilmacolm) 73 76 (T12)
155 J Mackintosh (Hazlehead) 76 79 (T34)
156 J Saxton (Muckhart) 74 82 (T39)

MISSED THE CUT (159 and better qualified)
161 K Beveridge (Aboyne) 84 77.

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES - CLICK HERE

EILIDH BRIGGS WINS THE WHITTINGHAM TROPHY BY 3 SHOTS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Scot Eilidh Briggs followed up her ninth place finish in a big field at the Delamere Comboy Scratch Cup the previous weekend by winning the next big 36-hole open event on the English amateur women's golf calendar, the Whittington Trophy, at Whittington Heath Golf Club by three strokes this week. 

Eilidh, who plays off +3 at Kilmacolm Golf Club, had rounds of 70 and 73 for a total of one-under-par 143. The course SSS is 73 for women and the CSS for this tournament was 75 for the first round and 74 for the second.

Eilidh is pictured with the trophy and Whittington Heath Golf Club's lady president Mrs Jean Hulme.
The Scot got one hand on the trophy with an excellent opening round of two-under-par 70 and five under the CSS. That gave Eilidh a two-stroke lead from Poppy Finlay who dropped out of the picture with a second-round 84 while Eilidh went on to return a 73 for a three-strong victory from Morgan Thomas (76-70) and Caitlin Evans-Brand (74-72.

 LEADING TOTALS par 144 (2x72) SSS 73. CSS 75 74
143 Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) 70 73 -
146 Morgan Thomas (Beau Desert) 76 70,  Caitlin Evans-Brand (Yelverton) 74 72
148 Gemma Allman 74 74.
151 Holly Haslam 79 72, Melissa Wood 79 72.
152 Rhian Barton 78 72, Alexandra Giles 76 76
153 Louisa Tarn 80 73, Aimee Sawyer 79 74.
155 Ellie Darnell 77 79.
156 Poppy Finlay 72 84
158 Harriet Evans 78 80.
 59 Rebecca Dean 81 78, Olivia Jay 77 82.
160 Ciara Kelly 84 76. 161 Victoria Turner 81 80