Olivia Mehaffey maintains form to take bronze in Sweden

Olivia Mehaffey continued her rich vein of form when she produced a display of the highest quality to secure the bronze medal in the European Ladies Amateur Championship in Sweden at the weekend.

The 18-year-old Curtis Cup star from Royal County Down finished with a second successive four under par 68 over the Hooks course for a 72-hole total of 270 — nine under — and outright third place.

Mehaffey, the holder of the Irish Close Championship and Welsh Open stroke-play title ended just two strokes behind new champion Bronte Law, England’s hugely-talented Curtis Cup player and one adrift of Belgian Leslie Cloots who led all the way until a disappointing final round of 74.

The Irish teenage ace had a stunning outward half for the second day running, carding five birdies in a 32 and coming home she recorded just one bogey — at the 14th and one birdie — at the 16th as she came home in 36.

Clandeboye’s Jessica Ross, who was the only other Irish player to make the 54-hole cut, finished in a share of 56th with a score of 297 after a closing 75.

Meanwhile, at Domaine Imperial in Switzerland, Mark Power surrendered his lead in the European Young Masters with a disastrous final hole — he suffered a massive setback on the 18th when in sight of victory he slumped to a triple bogey seven.

That seven gave the 15-year-old Irish boy a 75 for a 72-hole total of 215 and a share of fourth place.

He ended three strokes behind winner Dumont De Chassert of Belgium having gone into the fourth and final round leading the field by two strokes.

In the team event, Ireland finished sixth — nine strokes behind winners Czech Republic.