Pitch & Putt Ireland2014 National Ladies Senior Championship Preview
A look ahead to the three Ladies competitions on Saturday in Gaeil Colmcille
AS Gaeil Colmcille in Meath gets ready to host the National Seniors Championships this weekend, Communications & Press Officer Jason O’Connor looks ahead to proceedings in both the Ladies and Gents competitions this weekend. Today we kick off with a look ahead to the Ladies events on Saturday.
Senior
SOMEWHAT differently from normal, the senior ladies kick off proceedings in Kells on Saturday with a field of 20 competitors. Tullamore’s Margaret Hogan and Portmarnock’s Sheelagh Elmes are the stand-out names but there are some other players who have had some very good 2014’s so far. Lucan’s Phil Condron won the Leinster Senior Strokeplay on home turf back in July while Ryston’s Mary Donnelly has done a Leinster and National double at Intermediate level already this year. There are three players from Meath entered namely Bellewstown’s Marie Black, Laytown’s Ann Bird and Skyrne’s Kathleen Geraghty while Patricia Murphy from the Ranges club in Cork is the only Munster entrant among the field. Poulaphouca’s Mairead O’Toole is the defending champion from last year’s proceedings in Erry with the Lady who was runner-up to her by a total of five shots, Helen Wynne of Erry, also taking part on Saturday morning. While the field might be small it shouldn’t be any less competitive over the distance of 36 holes. It might well be a case of the early bird catching the worm with both the early start time and the short distance.
Intermediate
34 players are amongst the field with Noreen Myles, Beulah Morris and Monica McGovern representing the host club. There are only six entrants from Munster amongst the field namely Hillview’s trio Lorraine Creed, Pauline Lucey and Kathleen Shanley along with Charleville’s Liz Lysaght, Collins’ Mary Looney and Riverdale’s Margaret Forde. Pauline Lucey lost out in a three-way playoff to St Bridgets’ Mary Sherry last time out in Erry and both Ladies are taking part again in the 2014 staging. In terms of the breakdown by county, there are 10 entrants from Meath (including the three from the host club), six from Kildare, five from Dublin, four each from Tipperary and Westmeath, two from Offaly along with one each from Limerick and Cork. Will we have another playoff to decide the outcome this year or will it all be decided over the regulation 36 holes?
Junior
IN contrast to the other two competitions, the Junior Ladies will compete in two balls on Saturday afternoon with a field of 42 in action. Bernie Geraghty is the sole entrant from the host club amongst the field as the split by province is 32 from Leinster and 10 from Munster. Lakeside’s Lily O’Brien will be hoping to go one better than her runners-up finish in the National Junior Ladies in Fermoy back in July and she tees-off in the first pairing alongside Cunnigar’s Jacinta O’Mahony. The defending champion is another Tipperary player, Riverdale’s Margaret Clear, as she defends the title that she won by two shots from Prosperous’ Nora Tierney in Erry last year. Nora is also amongst the entrants this year as eight different counties are represented amongst the Junior field. Perseverance will be the key to success you feel for whoever is to come out on top after the 36 holes.
Tomorrow: We look ahead to the three Gents Championships on Sunday.
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