Leona is Close champ after Louth win

Ballyconnell teen golf sensation Leona Maguire has done it again. The Slieve Russell player defeated Royal Portrush's Stephanie Meadow by two holes to win her second Irish Women's Close Amateur Championship in Louth today (Wednesday 20). The two Curtis Cup stars met after semi final victories over Lucy Simpson (Massereene) and Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) respectively earlier in the day. Maguire now joins an exclusive group of players with two Irish Close titles to her name. Maguire's started well, racing to a three-hole advantage after starting par, birdie, birdie, birdie. However, Meadow reacted with a birdie of her own at the short fifth and went on to square the match with further birdies on six and nine. With the match finely balanced, Maguire restored her advantage at the long 11th, holing from 25 feet for another birdie, but the next two holes were halved with pars and then came a critical moment at 14. In heavy rough off the tee, Maguire looked like losing her advantage as Meadow had spanked her approach to 15 feet. Maguire somehow pitched to three feet and, after Meadow missed, held for a par-saving half. It proved a shot in the arm and she went on and won the short 15th and closed out the tie at the last, after Meadow suffered a lost ball off the tee.