GOLF DIGEST: LEONA MAGUIRE fired a two-under-par final round to win in the Helen Holm Scottish Women's Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship by two strokes from Scottish Under-21 champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) at Royal Troon yesterday.
Leona, who’s 14-year-old twin, Lisa, finished a highly creditable third, is the youngest player to have won this prestigious tournament. She led from start to finish after a brilliant opening round of six-under-par 69 at Troon Portland on Friday put her three shots clear of the field.
The gap closed on Saturday when she slipped to a two-over 77, also over Portland, but she finished in style by birdieing two of the last four holes for a closing 73 over the demanding Royal Troon links.
Her six-under-par total of 219 led the field of Internationals by two strokes and gave her another title to add to her French Under-21 girls’ championship won last week, along with last year’s Irish Close Championship in which she beat Lisa in the final.
She is the first Irish player to capture the trophy since Martina Gillen’s heroic performance in the 2005 Championships at Troon.
Lisa birdied four of the closing holes with her third successive 74 for three-under-par 222.
Danielle McVeigh of Royal County Down Ladies matched Leona’s best-of-the-day 73 to finish in joint fifth, while Aedin Murphy (Carlow) closed with a second 78.
LET TOUR: Christel Boeljon and Marjet Van der Graaff of the Netherlands came from two shots behind for a four-stroke victory at the European Nations Cup.
The pair fired a superb, six-under 66 to overtake third round leaders Gwladys Nocera and Anne-Lise Caudal of France at La Sella Resort, in Denia, Alicante, Spain.
France shared second place with the Italian and Australian teams on 14-under-par.
Ireland, represented by Rebecca Coakley and Martina Gillen, shared 10th place on 282 after a final round of 69.
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