Sheena McElroy defends Irish seniors' close

championship at Ardee next week

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
Defending champion Sheena McElroy (nee O’Brien Kenney) from will seek her second consecutive title when competitors tee it up at the ILGU’s Senior Women’s Close Championship at Ardee Golf Club from Tuesday, June 30 to Friday, July 3.
Past internationals Mary McKenna (Donabate), Phil O’Gorman (Laytown/Bettystown), Helen Jones (Strabane), Mary Gorry (Baltinglass), Rhona Brennan (Bandon) and Rita McGoldrick (Enniscrone) will join Mary Madden (Balinasloe), Marilyn Henderson (West Rhine), Valerie Hassett (Ennis) and Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire) as a handful of players most likely to pose the greatest threat to McElroy’s title defence.
Competitors will play 18 holes over the parkland lay-out, using a mixture of ladies and men's tees, on Tuesday and Wednesday with the top 16 qualifying for match-play on Thursday and Friday.
An additional incentive for the field this year will be the valuable Order of Merit points on offer for selection to the Senior Women’s European Team Championships to be held at Dun Laoghaire in early September. Roma English (Larne) will captain the side while Mary Gorry (Baltinglass) has been appointed manager.
Draw for next Tuesday and Wednesday's qualifying rounds at Ardee Golf Club:
10:00 & 11:30 Patricia O'Reilly (Headfort), Madeline Brennan (Carlow), Carmel Cahill (Hermitage).
10:10 & 11:40 Mary McCabe (Headfort), Helen O'Donoghue (Clonmel), Kath Stewart-Moore (Royal Portrush).
10:20 & 11:50 Finola Duncan (Bangor), Fionnuala McGrady (Dunmurry),Trudy Brosnan (Kanturk).
10:30 & 12:00 Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire), Valerie Hassett (Ennis), Mary McKenna (Donabate).
10:40 & 12:10 Judy Clarke (Royal Portrush), Helen Thornton (Ardee), Gemma Jennings (Navan).
10:50 & 12:20 Helen Jones (Strabane), Sheena McElroy (Grange), Phil O'Gorman (Laytown/Bettystown).
11:00 & 12:30 Gill Rouiller (Mannan Castle), Mary Geaney (Killarney), Valerie James (Bangor). 11:10 & 12:40 Mary Gorry (Baltinglass), Mary Madden (Ballinasloe), Kathleen Hynes (Ardee).
11:30 & 10:00 Catherine Reilly (The Heath), Pauline Walsh (Headfort), Marilyn Henderson (Castlerock).
11:40 & 10:10 Iris Smyth (Bangor), Julie Barkman (Nenagh), Sheila Roche (Ardee).
11:50 & 10:20 Patsy McCarthy (Grange), Mary Kidney (Headfort), Geraldine Woods (Ardee). 12:00 & 10:30 Rita McGoldrick (Enniscrone), Mairead MacNamara (Woodbrook), Catherine Bird (Nenagh).
12:10 & 10:40 Denise O'Sullivan (Hermitage), Jane Gardner (Malone), Kay McCartan (Greenore).
12:20 & 10:50 Noreen Granard (Portarlington), Roma English (Larne), Val Shannon (Douglas). 12:30 & 11:00 Mary McGoey (Greenore), Violet McBride (Belvoir Park), Rhona Brennan (Bandon).
12:40 & 11:10 Sally Casey (Seapoint), Pamela Morgan (Lahinch), Olivia Conroy (Co Longford).