In-form O’Driscoll in with Trophy chance

Emma O’Driscoll bids to consolidate her sparkling start to the season when she lines up in the prestigious St Rule Trophy over the New Course at St Andrews today.

The young Ballybunion star grabbed a share of third place in the Welsh Open strokeplay championship at Prestatyn early this month.

She is out last in the two rounds today playing with Germany-based Rachael Taylor and Brazil’s Luciane Lee.

O’Driscoll was up early yesterday, played 18 holes at St Andrews and felt great afterwards. “I feel I am still going strong,” she said.

Castletroy’s Chloe Ryan, who has also shown early-season promise, is also in the line-up hoping to make an impact. She is one of the first out alongside Fulford’s Charlotte Austwick and Wentworth-based Inci Mehmet.

Sinead Sexton is another Irish player hoping to make a mark at St Andrews.

There are 63 players in all in the field but there are no Curtis Cup golfers entered as they are on their way to Missouri for next weekend’s transatlantic clash in St Louis.

There has been only one Irish St Rule Trophy winner since the event was inaugurated in 1984 — Alison Coffey in 2001 with a 54-hole total of 221. But Ireland have won the team event three times — in 2002, ’03 and ’06.