Pitch & Putt IrelandPreview - 2025 Leinster Ladies Strokeplay Finals
By John Manning
Leinster Ladies Preview
Geraldine Ward (Portmarnock) is the defending ladies senior champion and will tee-off at 1.00pm alongside three-time Leinster Matchplay runner-up Marina O’Rourke (Cloghogue), the 1997 and 2000 All-Ireland Strokeplay champion.
Chrissie Sheedy (Ryston) is seeking an eighth Leinster Strokeplay title and won the championship on the last occasion it was played at Bagenalstown. That was in 2015 when Chrissie toured last year’s National Inter-County venue in 96 for a ten-stroke victory. Geraldine Ward was second that day and the two are likely to be involved at the business end of the championship again come Sunday.
Marian Courtney (Ryston) will be hoping to build on last year’s runner-up performance (her third) and finally get her hands on the Leinster Strokeplay cup to add to her four provincial Matchplay crowns.
Barbara Murphy (Seapoint) has picked-up provincial Junior and Intermediate Matchplay titles on her voyage through the grades.
The first of Margaret Hogan’s (Tullamore) seven victories in this championship was at Bagenalstown back in 1978.
2024 National Matchplay champion Amy Galvin (Tullamore) would love to claim a Leinster Strokeplay title at adult level just like her grandmother Annie did in 2000 and to add to her own harvest of five Leinster Juvenile Strokeplay titles
Other former winners of this championship competing are Tara Dillon (Ryston), Paula Lynch (Oldcastle) and Glenda Hoey (Lucan).
2024 Intermediate champion Cynthia Fowler is not in the field but last year’s runner-up Marian Gannon Kelly (McDonagh) plays as does 2024 Junior champion Christina Foley (Athgarvan).
1996 Leinster Matchplay runner-up Mairead O’Toole (St. Bridget’s) is first out, partnered by Erry’s Linda Flanagan, the 2013 provincial Matchplay champion.
Mary Fullam (Shandon) was runner-up at Bagenalstown ten years ago while Susan Ritchie (R.G.S.C.) has twice been a Leinster Matchplay finalist in recent seasons.
Audrey Donnelly (MacBride) has been a prolific Leinster Matchplay winner at junior level while Teresa Fagan (Royal Meath) was crowned Leinster Intermediate Matchplay champion at Navan earlier in the season.
Lucan’s Barbara Furlong was runner-up two years ago while Karen McVerry (Cloghogue) and Hillary Walsh (Ashgrove) have both been provincial Junior Matchplay finalists.
2022 and 2024 Leinster Matchplay runner-up Ann Williams (Ryston), who played so well at Riverdale last week in the Over-55s must be one of the favourites for the junior championship as must Cloghogue’s Bronagh Crilly, who is seeking the Leinster Matchplay/Strokeplay double.
Catherine Dillon (St. Bridget’s) is a serial success story in Leinster Mixed Foursomes. 2018 Leinster Strokeplay champion Ina O’Donnell (Gowran) will be very familiar with the Bagenalstown layout as will her club colleagues Marie Power and Stasia Heafey who joined Ina on Kilkenny’s 2023 provincial Inter-County runner-up side.
Nobody will have more knowledge of Bagenalstown’s challenges than Ann Hickey, 2024 CKW Matchplay runner-up
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