IN-FORM AUSSIE EMMA BENNETT LEADS FIELD
IN AWFUL WEATHER FOR IRISH STROKE-PLAY

Touring Aussie Emma Bennett, winner of the Bridget Jackson Bowl at Handsworth in midweek, made the best of awful weather for the first two rounds of the Irish women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Clandeboye Golf Club, Newtonards today.
At first the players had a heavy mist to contend with. Then came heavy rain. No wonder the scoring was high over a testing par-74 track.
Emma had scores of 74 and 75 for a two-round total of 149 with one round still to come on Sunday.
The Australian leads by one shot from three players - Welsh left-hander Stephanie Evans, Germany's Jacqueline Dittrich and home hope Marian Riordan.
Claire Hargan from Mortonhall is the leading Scot on 162.

HALFWAY SCOREBOARD

Par 148 (2 x 74)
149 Emma Bennett (Aus) 74 75.
150 Jacqueline Dittrich (Ger) 77 73, Marian Riordan (Tipperary) 76 74, Stephanie Evans (Wal) 72 78.
151 Bree Arthur (Aus) 74 77.
152 Stacey Keating (NZ) 80 72, Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush) 78 74.
153 Rebecca Flood (Aus) 76 77.
154 Anna Scott (Eng) 78 76, Deirdre Smith (Co Louth) 78 76, Gillian O'Leary (Cork) 77 77.
155 Rachel Jennings (Eng) 80 75, Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) 77 78.
156 Clare Choi (Aus) 79 77.
157 Kate Coombes (Aus) 83 74.
159 Nina Geirsdottirf (Ice) 81 78, Sonya Hopley (Clandeboye) 80 79.
161 Alex Howe (Royal Co Down Ladies) 83 78, Karen Delaney (Carlow) 78 83.
162 Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) 83 79, Mari Suursalu (Estonia) 81 81, Maura Morrin (The Curragh) 81 81, Sarah Carty (Thie Island) 81 81.
163 Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) 86 77, Kristina Rothengatter (Ger0 84 79, Helena Arnadottir (Ice) 79 84, Rebecca Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) 79 84.
164 Elaine Moffat (St Regulus0 83 81, Jo Nicolson (Wrexham) 81 83, Rachel Cassidy (Stirling University) 80 84, Maria Dunne (Skerries) 78 76.
165 Corisande Lee (Eng) 84 81, Nichola Moore (Cladeboye) 82 83, Tinna Johansdottir (Ice) 81 84, Sinead O'Sullivan (Galway) 80 85.
166 Emma Gilmore (Mountbellew) 87 79, Holli Snelling (Killarney) 86 80, Ann-Marie Dalton (Coollattin) 85 81, Alice Davis (Royal Tara) 82 84.
168 Lucy Simpson (Massereene) 89 79, Shirley Harvey (Ballyclare) 83 85.
MISSED THE CUT
169 Sarah Louise Winter (Carnalea) 88 81, Hermione Fitzgerald (Eng) 82 87.
170 Jenna Kinnear (Belvoir Park) 87 83, Karen O'Neill (Douglas) 84 86.
172 Lorraine Boal (Scrabo) 85 87, Elisabet Oddsdottir (Ice) 82 90.
173 Lisa McKeekin (Royal Portrush) 91 82, Sinead Keane (The Curragh) 89 84, Sandra Atkinson (Woodbrook) 88 85.
175 Lauren Mackin (Esp) 95 80.
182 Ruth Maguire (Corrstown) 92 90.
184 Jane Gardner (Malone) 99 85.
189 Karen Musson (NZ) 88 101.