McLean-Tattan piles on the pressure

Romford golfer Zoe McLean-Tattan has taken a six-shot lead into the final round of the Flogas Irish Girls’ Amateur Open Championship in Corrstown.

The 17-year-old continued her blistering form with a steady round of 73 to finish Saturday on -4, ahead of Daisy Lee (Lancaster) and Eva Mooslechner (GC Radstadt) who both lie on +2.

McLean shot 69 on Friday to put herself in the ascendency and despite a double-bogey on the seventh and three more bogeys on the back nine, she steadied herself down the closing stretch.

An eagle on 15 turned things around and with birdies on 16 and 18 McLean-Tattan is in a commanding position before the final day of action.

“Considering the start, it was very stressful the last four holes, it was just crazy to be honest,” said McLean-Tattan.

“It was going well but I had a few bad shots here and there so I was happy to get it back. I holed a nice 15-foot putt on the last for birdie.

“That Par 5 near the end, I nearly went OB yesterday, I hit the stake and it came back in so I was happy to get away there with an eagle (today).”

There were 41 players who made the cut with Lancaster golfer Lee having the best round of the day.

The English teenager had a pair of birdies on the front nine and two more on the back nine to card a bogey-free round of 69 and keep herself in contention, behind the brilliant McLean-Tattan.

Lee also leads the U-16 event, where she is just one shot in front of Hannah Lee-McNamara (Royal Portrush). Connemara youngster Noreen O’Neill is on top in the net competition, where she also leads Grace Dowdall (Forrest Little) by the minimum.

But it will be McLean-Tattan who looks to win her first Flogas Irish Girls’ Amateur Open Championship in the sun tomorrow.

“It’s nice, first proper big event under Ireland. Just sleep tonight and get up again tomorrow,” said McLean-Tattan.

“(It would mean) a lot to be honest, going to America in August, it’d be nice to get a big win before I go.

“I’ve got St Rule within a week-and-a-bit so it’d be good to go to that with a win.”

View the scoring here.