GOLF: Claire Coughlan's favourite golf holes in Ireland must surely be the fourth, fifth and sixth on the mighty Murvagh Course at Donegal Golf Club.
During both qualifying rounds at the Lancome Irish Women's Close Championship the Cork player went eagle-birdie-eagle in her trip to the top of the leaderboard as leading qualifier and winner of the Leitrim Cup for the second year running.
Coughlan, who took the silverware at her home club last year, yesterday again headed the list of hopefuls who go into the matchplay stages this morning in their hunt for the championship title, left vacant because of the absence of the 2002-winner Rebecca Coakley who is now playing as a professional.
In the second qualifying round the Little Island plus-two handicapper added a one-under-par 74 to her opening 73 to open a gap of three strokes at the top of the leaderboard
"Yes, those holes are a bit special for me," agreed Coughlan (23). "My game is very solid at present and I'm just happy with the way I'm playing. I have never been here before but I came up to keep the Leitrim Cup and, hopefully, add the championship trophy, as well. I didn't manage the double when I won the title in 1999."
In both rounds Coughlan also bogeyed the second hole before slipping into gear. On Tuesday it was a drive and four iron to 20 feet that set up her eagle at the fourth - yesterday, showing the difference in playing conditions, a drive and seven wood left her 12 feet from the pin. She rolled in a 15-footer for her birdie two at the fifth hole and completed the glorious run with a drive and that seven wood on to the green at the long sixth.
After turning in three-under-par she slipped back with bogeys at the next two holes. A bad second approach to the 10th green cost her a stroke and she tossed away another after driving into sand at the 12th before finishing with seven straight pars.
Martina Gillen also posted a 74 for 150 to be in second place while Tricia Mangan carded a second round 77 for 155.
Eight-times winner Mary McKenna was happy with her 78 that included birdies at the short 15th, from 12 feet, the long downwind 11th that she reached in two blows and the 18th where she rolled home a 25-footer for a three.
"Finishing like that left a nice taste in the mouth," said McKenna, who won the title at Donegal in 1979. "The course has changed a lot since then. They have put in a lot more bunkers and changed the 12th and 14th holes. I got off to a bad start today with a pair of sixes so I think it is brilliant to have recovered so well."
Galway's Sinead O'Sullivan has lost her grip on the Ita Wallace Trophy and is delighted to hand back that silverware. She returned qualifying scores of 79 and a three-birdie 78 to be easily inside the cut-off point.
