Mangan to defend title in Wicklow

Tricia Mangan (Ennis), fresh from her seventh-place finish at the Welsh Open Strokeplay, defends her Lancome Irish Ladies’ Close Championship at The European Club, Co Wicklow, May 13 to 17.

Mangan, currently on the GB&I panel, plans to add to last year’s title, won at Portsalon, and impress the selectors in attendance who will shortly announce the Curtis Cup team to play the USA at Bandon Dunes, Oregon, in July.

The championship begins on Saturday with the first round of the Leitrim Cup, a 36-hole qualifying strokeplay event.

Sunday sees the completion of round two, after which the leading 32 players will go into the championship draw on Monday, concluding Wednesday afternoon.

The next 16 play for the Ita Wallace Trophy.

Claire Coughlan (Cork), runner-up at last year’s British Amateur, and Beaverstown’s Martina Gillen, fourth in last week’s Welsh Strokeplay, will arguably pose the most serious threats to Mangan’s title aspirations.

Another player in form is Co Louth’s Deirdre Smith, who last weekend added the McLoughlin’s Hermitage Scratch Trophy to those won at Cork and Royal Co Down in April.

The Lancome Irish Ladies’ Close was first played in 1894, just one year after the foundation of the Irish Ladies’ Golf Union, the oldest national union or association in ladies’ golf.

The draw boasts a significant number of senior and junior internationals.

The junior players will be particularly keen to impress the Irish selectors as the U21 and U18 teams to play in the European Team Championships in the Nertherlands and Denmark in July will be announced before the end of the month.

Draw – Saturday 13th May:

9am (at 10 min intervals): Tricia Mangan (Ennis) Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) Maura Morrin (The Curragh); Claire Coughlan (Cork) Martina Gillen (Beaverstown) Sinead Keane (The Curragh); Heather Nolan (Shannon) Sinead O'Sullivan (Galway) Marian Riordan (Tipperary); Danielle McVeigh (RCDL) Maria Dunne (Skerries) Mary Dowling (New Ross); Darragh McGowan (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) Gillian O'Leary (Cork) Vicki Power (Brampton Park); Suzanne Phillips (Woodbrook) Jennifer Gannon (Co Louth) Fiona Carroll (Athenry)

10am: Ann Geoghegan (Athlone) Emma Gilmore (Mountbellew) Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush); Helen Jones (Strabane) Deirdre Walsh (Milltown) Sarah Faller (Galway); Deirdre Judge (Roscommon) Nikki Taggart (Greenisland) Linda Toomey (Limerick); Anita McCaw (RCDL) Naoimh McMahon (Shannon) Anne McCormack (Roscommon); Ann Marie Dalton (Coollattin) Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne) Joanne Black (Knock)

11am: Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) Yvonne Daly Ryan (Tipperary) Shauna McVeigh (RCDL); Helen Purtil (East Clare) Gertie McMullen (The Island) Angela Kilmartin(Warrenpoint); Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush) Lillian Kilmartin (Tipperary) Shirley Harvey (Ballyclare); Sandra Atkinson (Woodbrook) Jean Farrell (Youghal) Sarah Carty (The Island); Miriam Abernethy (Cork) Siobhan McCartan (Greenore) Sarah Cunningham (Ennis); Sheena O'Brien Kenney (Grange) Fiona Healy (Headfort) Emma Getty (Carrickfergus)

Noon: Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) Aisling Parker (Greenore) Holli Snelling (Killarney); Viv Johnston (Castle) Ruth Maguire (Corrstown) Ciara Sharkey (Enniscorthy); Patricia McAllister (Laytown/Bettystown) Derbhla Behan (Balbriggan) Adrienne Crowley (Woodbrook); Carol Kinsella (Waterford) Ailish McCartan (Greenore) Orla Barry (Galway); Theresa Delahunty (Rathdowney) Lisa Maguire (Castle Hume) Aedin Murphy (Carlow);

1pm: Niamh Henry-Bezy (Ashbourne) Catherine Kavanagh (Mitchelstown) Marie Sudway (Carton House); Mary Lalor (Roscommon) Leona Maguire (Castle Hume) Mai McCann (Narin & Portnoo); Paula Murray (Naas) Cathy Kavanagh (Woodenbridge) Barbara Cooney (Laytown/Bettystown); Elizabeth Reid (Arklow) Maria Cahill (Abbeyleix) Grainne O'Connor (Skerries)