Mitsubishi/Irish Times Masters: The presence of Christy O'Connor jnr proved an inspiration to the western entries in the Mitsubishi/Irish Times Ladies Masters at the Glasson Golf Hotel and Country Club last week.
O'Connor spent a long day giving instruction and tips to all 120 players as they passed through the par three (over water) 15th hole in this year's semi-final.
On a perfect day for golf, with a slight breeze coming off Lough Ree, the scores and the tips matched the day.
Irish international Hazel Nolan, from Shannon, and one of the stars of last year's first Home Internationals victory for 18 years at Cruden Bay, shot a gross 75 over the beautifully presented Glasson course, while Emma Gilmore from Mountbellew was not far behind on 77.
In a busy week for Gilmore, she had to make a quick exit from Glasson to Portarlington for the Irish Girls Championship, and later in the week was selected for the Irish Girls team for the Home Internationals in Scotland next month.
In all, 30 women came through the Glasson test - 10 each from Munster and Leinster and 10 from Connacht/Ulster - and they will play in the final on August 16th at Mount Wolseley when Christy O'Connor jnr will conduct, in his inimitable style, another clinic.
"We are thrilled to see how popular the Mitsubishi Motors/Irish Times Ladies Masters has become since its inception six years ago," said Mitsubishi's Gavin Flood.
"Well over a thousand entries were received for this year's event and the quality of the golf needed to reach the semi-final is getting more competitive each year."
However, as the internationals blazed a trail around Glasson, pride of place went to Carrick-on-Shannon's Siobhán Talbot, who pipped another Connacht/Ulster player, Viviene Houston of Rosapenna, on the back nine after both had returned scores of 42 points.
Talbot, who started golf in 1999 with a handicap of 43, may not have had the ideal preparations for a semi-final event. After leaving Carrick with time to spare, Talbot took a wrong turning in Longford, ended in Strokestown, Co Roscommon, and arrived in Glasson with just minutes to spare.
The extra miles, however, did not effect her play, and with a first nine of 19 points with a no score at the fifth, the Carrick-on-Shannon 18 handicapper made sure of a place in the finals with an excellent back nine of 23 points, that included birdie two's at the 11th and 15th holes.
Houston, manager of the Ulster Bank in Derry, played the steadier round with halves of 22 points and 20 for her 42, with one birdie on each nine at the second and 10th holes.
Ellen Gill from Gort took third place in the individual scores with 40 points off a handicap of 24 as Connacht/Ulster players dominated the scoring on the day.
Nolan won the gross with 75, while Gilmore took the first nine prize after an excellent two-under-par 34 for 23 points.
The back nine went to Achill's member Elizabeth Kelly with 25 points. Kelly's hopes didn't look too bright after a first nine of only 14 points, but the 16 handicapper blitzed the back nine in a gross 39 to qualify comfortably for the finals.
Edel Randles from Castlegregory led the 10 Munster qualifiers with 38 points off 18, with Nolan, Brid Cunningham from Ennis and Mary Lou Carroll of West Waterford tied for second on 37.
Mary Ryan from The Heath was the best of the Leinster qualifiers with 34 points off a 21 handicap, with Lou Gavin (Glencullen), Marion O'Mahony (Callan) and Arklow's Pauline Darcy tied on 33 points.
TheQualifiers
CONNACHT/ULSTER: Siobhán Talbot (18, Carrick-on-Shannon) 42; Viviene Houston (8, Rosapenna) 42; Ellen Gill (24, Gort) 40; Elizabeth Kelly (16, Achill) 39; Jenny Bourke (18, Curra West) 38; Emma Gilmore (5, Mountbellew) 38; Marian Forde (26, Enniscrone) 34; Ailish O'Connor (23, Ballyhaunis) 34; Antoinette O'Connor (28, Ballinrobe) 33; Frances Blake (22, Loughrea) 32.
MUNSTER: Edel Randles (18, Castlegregory) 38; Heather Nolan (3, Shannon) 37; Brid Cunningham (24, Ennis) 37; Mary Lou Carroll (15, West Waterford) 37; Anne McCoy (20, Newcastle West) 36; Brenda Moloney (15, Limerick) 35; Gina Archer (26, Fota Island) 35; Aisling Noone (22, Limerick) 34; Zita Pearce (19, Limerick County) 34; Mary Power (23, East Cork) 34.
LEINSTER: Mary Ryan (21, The Heath) 34; Lou Gavin (24, Glencullen) 33; Marion O'Mahony (18, Callan) 33; Pauline Darcy (23, Arklow) 33; Pauline O'Brien (17, Callan) 32; Betty Fitzpatrick (23, Rush) 31; Lucy Healy (15, Enniscorthy) 31; Jill Hegarty (27, Mullingar) 31; Geraldine Bell (25, Kilcock) 31; Hilary Morrissey (19, Bodenstown) 30.
OVERALL: S Talbot (18, Carrick-on-Shannon) 42 pts, V Houston (8, Rosapenna) 42, E Gill (24, Gort) 40. Gross: H Nolan (Shannon) 75. Nines: E Gilmore (5, Mountbellew) 23, E Kelly (16, Achill) 25.
