A winter rest proved the ideal tonic for last year's beaten finalist Jenny Gannon when she led the qualifiers in the Leinster Ladies Championship at windswept Powerscourt yesterday.
In gale force winds, Gannon's one over par 75 in the afternoon round was exceptional. Added to an opening 80 it gave her a total of 155 and a one-shot advantage over Hazel Kavanagh.
As the conditions worsened in the afternoon Gannon's game came good. After holing from 10 feet at the first for par, Gannon dropped a shot at the second but covered the next eight holes in four under par with birdies at the third, sixth, eighth and ninth for an outward half of 35.
Two double bogeys at the 10th and 16th on the homeward journey were somewhat cancelled with a birdie at the 13th and an inward half of 40.
Vagliano Cup panellist Alison Coffey (Warrenpoint) and Elaine Dowdall (Wexford) booked their places in today's first matchplay round. Coffey had two rounds of 80 while Dowdall, after an opening 76, added an 82 in the afternoon.
