Magical Olivia Mehaffey’s brave effort falls short

Olivia Mehaffey continued her amazing run in strokeplay competitions when she came within an ace of winning a fourth major title this season at Moortown in Leeds yesterday.

The hugely-talented 17-year-old Vagliano Trophy player from Royal County Down clinched second place in the British ladies open strokeplay championship to add to victories in the Welsh and Scottish Open events and the Irish Girls contest.

Mehaffey finished yesterday with a pair of 71s for a 72-hole aggregate of 290 - six under par - albeit five strokes adrift of winner Indian Aditi Ashok but four clear of third-placed Linn Andersson.

Mehaffey went out in 36 with seven pars and two birdies and came home in 35 which included two birdies, one bogey and six pars.

“I just left myself too much to do but it has been a great week,”said Mehaffey whose name will be high up on the list when next year’s Curtis Cup team is chosen.

Although Mehaffey took second spot it was another Irish player Jessica Ross who produced the best golf of the week on the final day.

Ross, from Donaghadee, fired a closing six under par 68,the lowest round of the week and the only one under 70 during the tournament. That hauled her right up the leaderboard into a share of fourth place on 295-one under.

Ross had four birdies in an outward 34 and on the way home carded her only bogey-a 6 on the 542-yard 12th, the longest and toughest hole on the course. She finished spectacularly though with an eagle three on the 16th and a birdie two on the 17th.

Killarney’s Mairead Martin finished 11th with a total of 300.