Coffey proves the coolest in the sea wind

The spray thrown up onto the Golden Strand may have been manna from heaven for wind-surfers and other such water lovers, but the white horses provided a tell-tale sign of the quite unladylike conditions experienced over the nearby dunes by the competitors in the Leinster Women's Amateur Open, sponsored by MacGregor, at Portmarnock Links yesterday.

Not surprisingly in the strong and persistent wind, with nasty flushes of rain adding to the general misery, it was not only a battle for survival but something of a lottery too, especially on the greens. So, it was equally inevitable (particularly with just 16 players emerging from the 36-hole strokeplay qualifying) that some noted players would fail to make it into the matchplay stages which commence today, and among the casualties were Irish international Elaine Dowdall and former British Seniors champion Valerie Hassett.

Yet, amid all the turmoil, Alison Coffey assumed a quite familiar position. Last year, when the event was played at the K Club, Coffey led the qualifiers and went on to take the title. Yesterday, the Belfast-based engineer completed stage one in her attempts to emulate that feat when she compiled rounds of 75 and 81 for 14-over-par 156 to retain the Josephine Connolly Salver as top qualifier. In the end, the Warrenpoint player had four shots to spare over her closest challenger, her Ulster team-mate Paula Delaney.

"The important thing was to stay patient," explained Coffey. "It would have been so easy to lose concentration. You just didn't know what the ball was going to do at times." Indeed, a number of other players complained that it was hard to maintain balance on some of the more exposed parts of the course, such was the strength of the wind.

For a number of players recently returned from national squad training in Portugal, the conditions provided quite a contrast. "This was a real test, quite different from the windless conditions we experienced over there," said Jenny Gannon, one of the new generation making a mark. And Dowdall, who was also on that Portuguese trip, could concur. She finished one stroke off the cut, which came on 171, and had reason in particular to rue a quintuple bogey nine on the 14th.

Yet, there was an abundance of 10s and 11s elsewhere as scores rocketed into the 100s in some instances and others just decided that enough was enough. Most of the big names survived, though, and as Irish close finalist Oonagh Purfield explained: "Survival is the name of the game, you just had to take your punishment and get on with it."

Coffey was more immune to the conditions than most, and stayed focused to lead the way. Another just back from Portugal, she was also part of the Ulster squad session on various links last week which included a match against the Swedish team. "All the recent golf means I'm quite sharp for this time of the year," she explained. She is the player to beat in the matchplay phase.

Apart from the prospect of 72 holes in two days over the Tramore track, Athlone's Colm Moriarty faces a demanding task if he is to retain his Munster Youths' Amateur Open Championship which takes place on Saturday and Sunday.

Moriarty had to win it the hard way at Lahinch last year when defeating Danny Sugrue in a playoff, but the quality of the field for this weekend's second youths' `major' of the season is quite exceptional. There is a particularly strong Ulster contingent - which includes former champion Robin Symes, Aaron Lundy, Garth Maybin, Graeme McDowell, David Jones and Michael McGeady.

McGeady is seeking back-toback youths titles after taking the Connacht Open earlier this month.

However, members of the Leinster team that ended Ulster's dominance in the Youths' Interprovincials in Waterford last week will also be present in force. Stackstown duo Mark Campbell and Michael McDermott will be among the favourites.