Olivia Mehaffey fired a final round two-under-par 70 to claim outright seventh spot at the close of the European Ladies Amateur in Slovakia.
The world amateur number 21 was solid but unspectacular in a week where Celia Barquin and Esther Henseleit pulled away from their chasers.
Mehaffey was her typically solid self but even at that the Arizona State star finished ten shots off the winning mark.
Indeed in the end, it was largely a two-woman race at Penati Golf Resort with Spaniard Barquin finishing on top by one shot.
Barquin’s victory can be largely credited to her third-round 9-under 63, a course record at Penati’s Heritage Course. It can also be credited to the fact that she didn’t have a bogey in the second half of the 72-hole event. She was at 16-under 272 while Henseleit, of Germany, was at 15 under. Henseleit led after the first two rounds.
With the victory, Barquin becomes the third Spanish player to win this event in the past five years. She also earns an exemption into the 2019 Ricoh Women’s British Open.
As for the other Irish in the field, Lurgan’s Annabel Wilson returned a three over 75 for an even par tournament total. The teenager had fired a stunning 67 yesterday to get herself in the mix but her star continues to rise despite a sub-par showing in the final round.
Julie McCarthy is another who has been solid without setting the world alight and the Forrest Little amateur can take great encouragement from her share of 33rd position on three-over-par.
While Lisburn’s Paula Grant returned a disappointing 78 to finish her tournament bid on 11-over-par.
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