Lecturer Dowling has all the answers

MARY DOWLING may have to invest in a new phone after yesterday’s dramatic success on the final day of the Lancome Irish Women’s Close Championship at Portstewart Golf Club.

The New Ross native sank a magnificent birdie putt on the 18th to defeat Slieve Russell tyro Leona Maguire and claim her first title before a massive gallery at the famed Derry venue.

And then the first of the texts started to come through.

“I’m having to delete texts every few minutes because of the build up,” she revealed last night.

“The last time I counted I had received over 90 since I won. I don’t know if the phone will survive!

“I am absolutely thrilled, it is a dream come through. A friend of my father’s, Martin O’Brien, won the Close twice in the 70s and I had always heard about it. But I never thought it would happen to me.”

Dowling started brightly and was three up by the fifth, before the teen sensation fought back strongly, and the duo were all square after the Wexford golfer found a bunker on the 10th.

Maguire produced a super birdie on the par 4, 11th hole to go ahead in the match for the first time and remained one up with three to play.

At the 16th, Dowling, who featured on the Irish Ladies European and Home International teams in 2009, produced a six-foot putt for par after Maguire bogeyed and the pair were level once again. The 17th was halved in pars before the drama turned to the 18th, where Dowling held her nerve with a downhill right to left putt for the title.

“I was positive,” she said of her mindset as she stood over that decisive putt.

“I played 18 pretty well and the putt just rolled into the hole perfectly. It was very emotional. My dad was crying and there were people from New Ross and Kilkenny rushing out to congratulate me. Though my home club is New Ross, I live in Kilkenny and play a lot of golf there. Margaret McCreery who is Lady’s Captain in Kilkenny left home at 4am in the morning to get here. And she had a bottle of champagne there on the 18th with her! It was incredible.”

Dowling now hopes to make the Irish team for the Europeans in July.

But golf may have to take a back seat for a few days at least.

She explained: “I’m a physiotherapist and I work as a lecturer in sports science and exercise work at the IT in Carlow.

“I should be correcting exams now. But I know there is a big bundle waiting for me when I get home.”