Lisburn’s Paula Grant staged a magnificent rally and defied gale force winds at Ballybunion yesterday to defeat Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) and capture the Irish Ladies Close Championship for the first time.

There is one word of warning Ada O’Sullivan will offer to whoever succeeds her as the ILGU’s first High Performance director when her four-year term ends next January: your golf game will suffer.

Ireland slipped to a second consecutive defeat in the Women’s Home Internationals at Cork Golf Club yesterday, going down 6-3 to Wales.

Ireland’s hopes of a first Women’s Home International victory since 2004 were dealt a hammer blow on the opening day as the hosts were trounced 9-0 by England at Cork Golf Club.

Ireland will go into today’s Women’s Home Internationals at Cork Golf Club with team captain Claire Coughlan-Ryan determined her side can make a mockery of the world rankings.

Most of the top lady golfers from Ireland and Britain, including Curtis Cup stars, will compete in the prestigious Ladies Home International Championships at Cork Golf Club next week.

Ireland staged a remarkable fightback over the closing holes at Radyr in South Wales yesterday to grab a share of the spoils with defending champions England on the opening day of the Girls Home International series.

A six over par 77 for an aggregate of 225 at Slovenia’s Diners Club wrecked any chances Irish girls champion Jessica Carty had of surviving the 54 hole cut in the European Ladies Individual Amateur Championship.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Holywood tyros yesterday.

Seven Irish players contest this week’s Scottish Open but while Pádraig Harrington will tee up on the acclaimed Castle Stuart course to the east of Inverness with the comfort of a British Open tee time, it won’t be the same for six others.

Adrian Morrow flew home from Austria yesterday on cloud nine after conquering a top class field to clinch the European Seniors Amateur Championship.

Rory McIlroy will have Michael Bannon as his full time coach after the Bangor professional announced he would leave his club job to hit the road with the reigning US Open champion.

Europe are on course for a landslide victory at this year’s Bonallack Trophy after dominating Asia-Pacific in Portugal yesterday.

LEINSTER are the toast of Irish golf after winning the Women’s Interprovincials following their thrilling 5½ to 3½ win over Ulster on the final day of play at Cork Golf Club yesterday.

Ulster remain on track to claim their third successive Women’s Interprovincial title at Cork Golf Club following their hard-earned 6-3 victory over Munster on day two of the action yesterday.

Ulster’s ambition to win a third consecutive Women’s Interprovincial golf title this week at Cork Golf Club has been dealt a blow with the withdrawal of two of their more experienced players.

PETER LAWRIE credited a new putting technique with helping to give him the outright lead after the first round of the Czech Open yesterday.

PORTUGUESE Ladies champion Leona Maguire and her twin sister Lisa, the current Spanish Ladies champion, will lead the Irish challenge at the inaugural Irish U-18 Strokeplay Championship at Knightsbrook Hotel Spa and Golf Resort in Co. Meath next weekend.

EMMA O’DRISCOLL (Ballybunion) defeated Paula Grant (Lisburn) to capture the Lancome Girls’ Irish Close Championship title in sensational style at Castletroy GC yesterday.