Behan bounces back to the top

Her fortitude has never been questioned, either in Ganton or Prairie Dunes, so, as she stood on the seventh tee-box four down against Oonagh Purfield in the final of the Irish Women's Amateur Close Championship at Clandeboye on Saturday, Lillian Behan stubbornly reminded herself of her two main goals for the season.

A little over two hours later, the 33-year-old former British champion and Curtis Cup player had achieved both of them. Victory over Purfield at the 19th hole, in one of the best finals of modern times, gave Behan her long-cherished national title and, with it, the place back on the Irish team which was denied her in somewhat controversial circumstances last year.

"Phew, what a battle," remarked Behan, not in the least overstating her duel with Purfield on the testing parkland course overlooking Belfast Lough. Indeed, there was a sense of deja vu about it all. When she won the British championship in 1985, she was three down on the ninth. Now, some 13 years later, Behan was forced to show those resilient qualities all over again.

It has been a long, meandering trek to the national crown for Behan. After her British win in Ganton and starring role on the historic Curtis Cup-winning team in Prairie Dunes, Kansas, in 1986, Behan had an unsuccessful stint in the professional ranks. She was reinstated as an amateur in 1996, lost to Barbara Hackett in the Irish close final that year and has been constantly forced to prove points (mostly to selectors) on the golf course since then.

"I'm still setting myself targets," insisted Behan. "I'd like to make the Curtis Cup team again, whether it be this year or in the year 2000. I've put a lot of work into my game, particularly on my pitching and putting, and it is great to get the rewards."

On Saturday she gave her most emphatic answer to those who had the temerity to doubt her. With a stiff wind adding to the test, Behan and Purfield produced some magnificent golf - and, incredibly, the first hole to be halved was the ninth as the two protagonists set about their task with serious intent.

In fact, Purfield, the sales manager for MacGregor golf, whose ball striking throughout the championship would have done justice to some of the household names who use her company's products, stole an early march and was four up after six holes. "I knew I wasn't out of it," recalled Behan. "I told myself to keep my rhythm, to try to play par golf."

Ironically, the same stretch that had been so rewarding to Purfield in her semi-final win over Paula Gorman earlier in the day (when she was five under par for the six holes from the seventh to move from three down to three up) proved to be the area where the Co Louth player stumbled in the final. Behan won the seventh, eighth and 12th to reduce the deficit to one, and then levelled the match at the 13th.

From there on, though, the two players demonstrated their courage and halved the next five holes. On the 16th, Purfield was forced to sink an eight footer for par; and, then, on the 17th, Behan produced a quite remarkable up-and-down from left of the green to share the hole in par fours. "Unbelievable," said Purfield of her opponent's ingenuity. "Yeah, it was something else," agreed Behan.

The shot in question was forced on Behan after she tried to cut a five-iron approach to the green. "It just didn't bend," said Behan. In fact, the ball was drilled to the left of the green and, with the wind on her back, she opted to play a nine-iron chip shot onto the bank and it rolled 10 feet past the pin. Of course, she sank the putt.

Then, at the first sudden-death hole, Purfield pulled her five wood approach shot to the left. Her pitch to the green then agonisingly rolled into the greenside bunker and, after Behan had rolled her putt the length of the green to within two feet of the flag, Purfield knew she had to hole out her bunker shot if she was to prolong the duel. She nearly did. It almost pitched in the hole and stopped a mere two inches from the cup. "I gave it my all and I'm happy that I gave it 100 per cent," said Purfield.

Behan, meanwhile, continues to set targets - and the most immediate one is the British championship at Little Aston in two weeks time when she will attempt to regain a title she won all of 13 years ago.