EILEEN ROSE POWER leads the Irish challenge in the British Women's Open Amateur golf championship over the tough Cruden Bay Links in the north of Scotland following the first qualifying round yesterday.
The Munster title-holder kept her nerve in blustery conditions to return a one-over-par 74 to put herself in line for one of the leading places in the knockout phase after today's second round.
Scotland's Curtis Cup player Janice Moodie was a clearcut first-round leader after a course record six-under-par 67.
Power reached the turn in 37 and came back in the same score, but she three-putted from the back edge of the home green which cost her a stroke.
There were some sorry tales from the other Irish competitors in the 111-strong field although Dundalk's Yvonne Cassidy (77) and Barbara Hackett (78) know they are in with a chance of qualifying if they can repeat that sort of score today.
Disaster struck two Irish players, Cork's Irene Murphy and Lily O'Brien of Claremorris, as they slumped to 86s.
Robin Symes from Shandon Park continued his steady climb through the ranks of Irish junior golf with an impressive victory in the Leinster Youths' Championship at Trim yesterday.
Symes made a nervous start to the final round when dropping four strokes on the front-nine. However, he rallied with birdies at the 11th and 14th to get two strokes back and to win by one.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)