'Breakthrough performance' for O’Sullivan

Sinead O’Sullivan made her mark on American collegiate golf this week with a maiden tournament victory in Mobile, Alabama.

The Galwegian, in her second year at East Tennessee State University, won the individual medal at the University of South Alabama Lady Jaguar Invitational to lead her school to the team championship.

O’Sullivan, 22, had been tied for fourth place following an opening round of 74 in the 36-hole event at the par-72, 6,071-yard Azalea City Golf Course.

In the final round, though, she blew away the field with a three-under-par 69, the only sub-70 round of the tournament, to take the individual title by two strokes from Spain’s Virginia Espejo of the University of Southern Mississippi.

ETSU also held off Southern Miss in the team championship, shooting 600, 17 strokes better than their nearest rivals.

O’Sullivan said she was just as pleased with the team victory as she was with her individual success.

“It’s great to have my first college win. I’m really happy,” O’Sullivan said. “The hardest thing was playing the wind, but I was able to fight through it.

“I left a few shots out there in the first round, so I was eager to get out there and learn from those mistakes.

“I had three birdies and an eagle on the front nine, and I knew the back nine was tougher, but I was able to play well and not make many mistakes.”

ETSU head coach Stefanie Reynolds said she felt a breakout performance from O’Sullivan was in the offing.

“Sinead has always been a quiet competitor that we could count on to post a good score,” said Reynolds.

“We talk about how having a player go low is crucial to winning a tournament, and this time Sinead gave us that score. She just started making birdies and feeling good about her game. I was really proud of her.”

O’Sullivan next tees up in competition on Sunday as the ETSU Buccaneers return to action in the Pinehurst Challenge on the Pinehurst No.8 course at the famous North Carolina complex.

While O’Sullivan was winning in Alabama, her compatriots on the ETSU men’s golf team were continuing their good form in the Caribbean as Lisburn’s Gareth Shaw claimed a tie for fourth place in a strong field at the Puerto Rico Classic.

Shaw shot a five-under 211 (70-69-72) at the par-72 Rio Mar Country Club’s River Course as ETSU, ranked 24th in the country, finished fifth in the team event, 13 strokes back of team champion and number two-ranked Alabama.

West Waterford’s Seamus Power posted the low final round with a four-under-par 68 to finish in a tie for 31st on 220 (75, 77, 68), while Belfast freshman Simon Doherty and Limerick senior Cian McNamara finished tied for 43rd and 55th respectively.

“We shot our low round of the tournament today, and obviously this was a good tournament and finish for us,” ETSU head coach Fred Warren said.

“Gareth had a really good tournament and Seamus played a great round today. It was a good showing.”