Luna completes Italian job

THE stalls did well at the final day of the AIB Ladies Irish Open in Portmarnock links yesterday as play was suspended twice – at 9.50am for 30 minutes and for a longer period at 1pm until 4.15pm – due to dense fog coming in from the coast.

Still, the afternoon delay of over three hours didn’t upset Diana Luna who was a comfortable winner with an 11-under-par score of 205, putting her four strokes clear of a trio of players.

The 26-year-old from Rome had a bogey-free final round of four-under-par 68, enabling her to finish clear of France’s Gwladys Nocera (69), England’s Florentyna Parker and Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson (71).

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great weekend for the five Irish who made the cut, which included amateur Danielle McVeigh, a member of the Great Britain and Ireland Vagliano Team. The best, however, was Dubliner Martina Gillen, 27, who finished three over par.

“I struggled a bit,” admitted Gillen, who hit three birdies on 4, 13 and 16. “I was pulling my irons and played some right crap around the greens. I got no breaks. I took a triple on the par four 8th. I had a blind second shot and pulled it into the high stuff. It was dead. I had to go back and play the shot and racked up a seven.

“Then on the 12th par five I got stuck in it again. That was the story of the day. I played well, but was fighting that. Par would have been a right score for me today (she had +2) but I had some bad iron shots.”

She added: “The tournament was very well run, they did a great job. But, this course doesn’t really suit my game.”

Even though there was no Irish player in contention for the major prize, Luna delighted the crowds shooting four birdies and no bogey.

Not having won a major since the 2004 Tenerife Ladies Open, the 26-year-old Italian said: “I am very happy. I hit almost 18 greens. I just concentrated on keeping it going. I am playing really good at the moment.”

Of the rest of the home field, Carlow rookie Tara Delaney signed for plus five, and enjoyed her first Irish Open. A professional since January, she said she is learning and is looking forward to the next tour event in Norway this week.

McVeigh, a 21-year-old from Royal County Down finished with 81. A hole-in-one at the 164 yard par 3 on Saturday saw her start the final day on a superb level par. But, six bogeys and one double bogey on the back nine yesterday cost her.

Rebecca Coakley carded +7, while Hazel Kavanagh ended on eight over par which disappointed her.

“It is nine hours since we teed off,” said a tired Kavanagh. “I didn’t hit the par fives this week at all. You need to kill them, because they are reachable. I’ve played five tournaments this year, made the cut in three. I missed the cut in this last year, but I am disappointed now because I left shots out there. I will just have to work on it.”

The Maguire twins missed the cut, as did Laura Davis who went out rather tamely with a 75 and 79 – 10 over par.