Congratulations to the Ladies Challenge team who have moved one step closer today to an All-Ireland Pennant having already secured a Leinster pennant for the club this year.
Iris Haughton set her team out this afternoon hoping to get over the line and into the semis and, although as always it proved to be a tight finish, our ladies came up trumps.
First out was Vice-Captain, Celine Joyce who had the misfortune of coming up against an extremely good player today. Having hit one poor shot in the first three holes, Celine found herself three down to a player who had 100 yards + advantage off the tee. Celine fought hard and got the match to two down through seven but the length advantage plus an occasional rub of the green set the scene and there was only going to to be one winner and so it was when the match ended with a 5&4 win for Cill Dara.
This win however only leveled the match at one all as Regina Connaughton, who was out third was showing no mercy to her opponent. Regina was five up after five and playing really well. She only lost two holes and halved one on the way to an impressive 7&6 victory.
Orla Rush also started with a flourish, winning the first five holes, but her opponent had other ideas as to how the day might pan out and was not going to give up without a fight. Orla, with son Darragh on the bag stayed strong however and was six up at the turn and getting two shots on the twelfth and thirteenth. It’s always hard to get over the line and Orla was back to four up after thirteen. She played the fourteenth extremely well to win the hole and her match 5&4. Darragh was not impressed with the delay……
So 2-1 to Greystones and two matches left on the course..
Wendy Lee had turned all square but started the back nine with three straight losses to find herself three down. Wendy is a fighter and was not going to give in easily. John Brophy, on the bag is not too fond of loosing either and the pair won the fourteenth and sixteenth holes to be just one down with two to play.
Or anchor woman today was Grace Dodd who, after four holes didn’t look like she had settled into the match at all but was still all square. Two up through eight however Grace looked like she was in control but found herself back to all square through ten after a spirited fight back by her opponent. This looked like it might be the pivotal match and Lady Captain Amanda, Vice-Captain John, President Elect Marguerite, head professional David and all the Greystones supporters were on tender-hooks watching the match unfold. They shouldn’t have worried however because Grace turned on the style from there, halving the eleventh and winning the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth to go three up with four to play.
On the downhill fifteenth, Grace split the fairway with a fantastic tee shot, just ahead of her opponents drive. They both hit reasonable lay ups but then Grace hit, perhaps the shot of the day, to about ten feet which was enough to see her seal her match and get Greystones into the semi finals.
Wendy Lee had halved the seventeenth as was on e down playing the final hole when called in.
Greystones will play Belvoir Park ( Ulster ) at 10.50 tomorrow with the winner getting the chance to compete for the coveted All-Ireland Pennant on Sunday.
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