Power edged out by Behan

LILLIAN BEHAN is keeping the Irish flag flying in the British Women's Open Championship at Hoylake. She moved into the third round with a one-hole success over fellow countrywoman Eileen Rose Power who on Thursday had led the 64 qualifiers into the knockout phase.

The 31-year-old Curragh golfer won this title 11 years ago before taking the plunge into the professional circuit but is now glad to be back as an amateur.

It was quite a tough day in the wind as Behan started with a last green defeat of Germany's Elizabeth Esterl and was then hunted all the way to the final hole by 28-year-old Power, a former Irish champion from Kilkenny.

The Curragh player birdied the first two holes to win them both but Power came storming back and levelled by the turn. Behan missed the green at the 12th to fall behind but then took the 13th to square matters and regained the upper hand when she chipped to within six feet of the flag at the 14th and knocked in the putt for a birdie four.

After a couple of halves Behan three putted the 17th green to be brought back to level but then hit a superb wedge shot to the last and clinched a significant victory.

Otherwise it was a disappointing day for the Irish as Tricia Mangan of Ennis never got going in her first-round battle with Sweden's Karolina Andersson and went down three and two, while Michelle McGreevy of Rossmore was well and truly beaten five and four by Diane Blam from Germany, who went on to reach the last 16 at the expense of English champion Joanne Hockley.

At the start of yesterday's play, three former champions - Behan, Emma Duggleby and American Carol Semple Thompson - were still going strong, but at the end of it, the only one left was the Irish golfer. She now meets Denmark's Lotte Greve this morning for a place in the quarter-finals

Duggleby went down two and one to Welsh international Rebecca Morgan while Thompson was beaten by the same margin by Spaniard Ala Belen Sanchez.