Maguire wins absorbing duel with Meadow

Slieve Russell’s Leona Maguire defeated Royal Portrush’s Stephanie Meadow by two holes to win her second Irish Women’s Close Amateur Championship at Co. Louth yesterday.

The two Curtis Cup stars had notched semi-final victories over Lucy Simpson (Massereene) and Carla Reynolds (Seapoint).

Maguire raced to a three hole advantage after starting par, birdie, birdie, birdie. A shell-shocked Meadow reacted with a birdie of her own at the short fifth and impressively squared the match with further birdies on six and nine.