Fresh from her win just two weeks ago at the Connacht Women’s and Girls’ Championship, Clandeboye’s Rebekah Gardner has qualified for the Irish Girls’ Close match play stages as top seed.
“I hit it really well and placed the ball well off the tee,” said Gardner who shot rounds of 69 and 77 for a 4-under par total. “If you hit the ball in the rough it sits down so I was happy to keep the ball in play today. Then my short game and putting were on too so everything came together.”
Gardner credits the work she has done with Coach Johnny Foster for her recent run of form, which also included progressing to the round of 32 at The Women’s Amateur before bowing out to past Champion and England international Emily Toy.
“I’ve done a bit of work on my swing, my short game especially, but what I’ve really improved is my course management and that has been paying off recently.”
The 16-year-old will meet fellow clubmate Molly O’Hara in the first round of match play.
Katie Poots (Knock), winner of last week’s Munster Women’s and Girls’ Championship, qualified as second seed while Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) completes the podium. The top 16 qualifiers compete for the Irish Girls Close Championship, while qualifiers 17-32 compete for the Plate.
StrokePlay RESULTS: STROKE PLAY QUALIFYING
| 146 | R Gardner (Clandeboye Golf Club), 69, 77 |
| 148 | K Poots (Knock Golf Club), 75, 73 |
| 149 | B Coulter (Kirkistown Castle Golf Club), 75, 74 |
| 150 | E Fleming (Elm Park Golf Club), 74, 76 |
| 152 | C Shippam (Ballykisteen Golf Club), 77, 75 |
| 153 | O Costello (Roscommon Golf Club), 79, 74 |
| 155 | A GREHAM (Ballina Golf Club), 80, 75; A Dawson (Tramore Golf Club), 77, 78 |
| 156 | K Dillon (Oughterard Golf Club), 77, 79 |
| 157 | E Murray (Co. Louth Golf Club), 80, 77; E Park (Edmondstown Golf Club), 78, 79; L Kelly (Ballykisteen Golf Club), 77, 80; K Fleming (Elm Park Golf Club), 75, 82 |
| 158 | H Guerin (Royal Tara Golf Club), 79, 79 |
| 160 | A Abom (Edmondstown Golf Club), 83, 77; M O’Hara (Clandeboye Golf Club), 81, 79; M McLoughlin (Co. Sligo Golf Club), 81, 79 |
| 161 | A Burke (Killarney Golf Club), 80, 81 |
| 162 | T Laverty (Royal Portrush Golf Club), 80, 82 |
| 163 | C Griffin (Killarney Golf Club), 84, 79; N O’Grady (Black Bush Golf Club), 83, 80; N Carroll (Royal Tara Golf Club), 82, 81 |
| 164 | S O’Brien (Elm Park Golf Club), 83, 81; V Conlon (Enniscrone Golf Club), 82, 82 |
| 165 | E Morrow (Galway Bay Golf Club), 81, 84 |
| 166 | C Waldron (Naas Golf Club), 81, 85 |
| 167 | O McCrystal (Holywood Golf Club), 85, 82 |
| 168 | K Mulholland (Moyola Park Golf Club), 84, 84; M Sharkey (Monkstown Golf Club), 81, 87 |
| 169 | E O’Shaughnessy (Castleknock Golf Club), 86, 83; G McMeekin (Massereene Golf Club), 84, 85; R Wall (Forrest Little Golf Club), 84, 85; C Maxwell (Royal Curragh Golf Club), 83, 86 |
| 173 | L Dancis (Grange Castle Golf Club), 93, 80; O Currie (Royal Portrush Golf Club), 90, 83; A Higgins (Roscommon Golf Club), 88, 85 |
| 175 | H Lee-McNamara (Foyle Golf Club), 88, 87 |
| 176 | C Maples Gaffney (Royal Tara Golf Club), 93, 83; E Lonergan (Westport Golf Club), 90, 86 |
| 178 | J Pang (Portarlington Golf Club), 92, 86; S Bullock (Castletroy Golf Club), 90, 88 |
| 179 | S Ni Cheilleachair (Tullamore Golf Club), 89, 90 |
| 181 | E Duggan (Kilkenny Golf Club), 93, 88 |
| 182 | M Byrne (Baltinglass Golf Club), 92, 90; S Sharp (Royal Tara Golf Club), 91, 91; J Currie (Royal Portrush Golf Club), 90, 92 |
| 185 | L Dunne (Hermitage Golf Club), 90, 95 |
| 186 | N Codd (East Cork Golf Club), 92, 94 |
| 195 | N Brady (Rosslare Golf Club), 99, 96 |
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