Grant edges Maguire in play-off thriller to secure Close crown

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.

The future of ladies golf in Ireland looks in safe hands after four players ranging in age from 15 to 19 qualified for the semi-finals of the national championship in conditions hardly suited to their relative level of inexperience.

Maguire was contesting the final for the fourth time having beaten Mary Dowling at Fota Island in 2009, lost to her twin sister Leona in 2008 at Westport and to Dowling in 2010 at Portstewart.