Kate Lanigan’s top 25 finish at the Flogas Irish Women’s Amateur Open Championship has seen the Hermitage golfer take a narrow lead at the top of the Bridgestone Women’s Order of Merit standings.
Lanigan produced her best round of the week at Newlands on Sunday, carding a closing 76 to finish in a share of 25th place. The result earned her 133 points to add to the 250 she picked up after finishing runner up to Anna Abom (Edmondstown) at the South of Ireland Women’s Amateur Open Championship at Lahinch in April.
Those performances have edged her narrowly ahead of defending Bridgestone Order of Merit champion Aideen Walsh whose 12th place finish at Newlands earned her 200 points and leaves her just 23 behind Lanigan in second place.
Jessica Ross’s runner up finish at the Flogas Irish Women’s Amateur Open championship has seen the Clandeboye golfer make her first appearance on this year’s leaderboard, moving straight into third place, 33 points off the lead.
With the season still in its early stages, only 106 points separate first from 10th with the next opportunity for players to gain ground coming at the inaugural West of Ireland Women’s Amateur Open Championship. The event tees up at Castle Dargan from 31 May to 1 June.
On the men’s side, Dylan Keating is the biggest mover on the Bridgestone Men’s Order of Merit after the Seapoint golfer claimed his first men’s championship at Royal Portrush in dramatic fashion last week.
Keating’s one-shot victory on the Dunluce links saw the 23-year-old pick up 250 points and moved him from T29 to 7th in the standings.
Patrick Keeling’s top 10 finish at the North of Ireland was enough to keep the Roganstown golfer at the top of the leaderboard, while Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth) moved into second place after closing strongly at Royal Portrush to finish in a share of sixth place.
Dunne now trails Keeling by 111 points and will hope home comforts can help close the gap when the East of Ireland Men’s Amateur Open Championship tees up at County Louth from 29 to 31 May.
View the latest Bridgestone Order of Merit rankings here.
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