Beth Coulter completed a pillar-to-post procession at Galway Golf Club to claim a most deserved Irish Girls’ Close Championship crown.
The Kirkistown Castle star set the standard from the start, lifting the Muwick Cup as the best strokeplay performer with rounds of 72 and 74 before securing the Violet Haslett Cup as best under sixteen qualifier and the big one – the Black Cup.
Coulter needed no more than sixteen holes in any of her matches this week, unlike 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 17th and a chip in on the 18th and when the first five extra holes were halved in pars, Byrne’s 30-foot eagle putt on the 6th was needed to break the stalemate.
In the final, Coulter was 3UP through six holes but another eagle from Byrne on 7 was followed by a birdie on the 8th. Coulter had to refocus.
“Walking down the 10th 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 Championship Pat Fletcher Trophy (Plate) in 2016, on that occasion the match went to the 22nd 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,” added Coulter. “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 20th 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.
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
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
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