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.