Offaly golfer finishes fifth in Irish Amateur Girls Open
OFFALY golfer Ella Cantwell finished fifth in the Irish Amateur Girls Open Championship on Sunday.
Fourth position going into the final round at Corrstown Golf Club in Dublin, Cantwell, a member of Esker Hills Golf Club, slipped one place back to end up in fifth place on +3 for the three rounds,
The overnight leader Olivia Costello, Roscommon held her nerve to win the title very impressively on -12. Costello closed it out in style with a final round of -5 67 as she finished a whopping seven shots ahead of Hannah Lee McNamara of Royal Portrush – McNamara's father Ronan is a native Banagher and won an All-Ireland minor hurling medal with Offaly in 1989, moving up north in the following years.
McNamara shot a 71 on Sunday while the big mover was Selina Bartarya of Royal Blackheath, who moved six places up the leaderboard, leap frogging Rahan woman Cantwell. Bartarya had a 69 and finished joint third with Kayleigh Mulholland of Moyola Park, who had a 74.
Cantwell had a two over 72 to move back to +3 for the tournament but it still reporesented a very good three days for her as she competed against the leading young amateurs in the country
Daingean woman Evan Lowndes had a very good tournament to make the cut and finish tied 29th. Now playing out of New Forest Golf Club, near Tyrrellspass, she ended up on +21 with rounds of 80, 78 and 79.
Edenderry member Jennifer Doyle finished in 40th place, having done very well to make the cut. She had a closing round of 90 as she finished on +37 for the three days and this tournament will be great experience for her.
Leah McEvoy from Portarlington Golf Club missed the cut for the third round after two rounds of 85.