Lisa is Irish Open champ

Irish Women"s Close Champion Lisa Maguire birdied the seventh extra tie hole to win the 3 Irish Women"s Open Strokeplay at Douglas GC last Sunday following a play-off with England"s Hannah Burke after both finished on five-under-par 214. In blustery but dry conditions, Maguire parred the first to establish a five-shot lead over second place Scotland"s Jane Turner, but it narrowed to four when Turner birdied the second. Steady play over the outward nine saw the lead increase to five at the turn as England"s Hannah Burke took up the running from Turner. Burke went on to birdie the 10th, 11th, 15th and 18th to stage an amazing comeback and force tie holes with the Cavan teenager. Burke signed for a 67, while Maguire carded 75. Both players thrilled the crowd matching each other par-for-par until Maguire overshot the seventh hole. Burke missed her birdie effort from 25 feet and Maguire cooly slotted her downhill left to righter from just off the edge to tumultuous applause from the sizeable crowd. This was no easy victory for the Cavan player. Burke, a highly rated college golfer at Baylor University in Texas, played heroically in the final round of the 54-hole event. She was eight shots adrift of tournament leader Lisa after 36 holes, but shot 67 against Lisa"s 75 for a fighting finish. The two players were tied on five-under-par 214 for the 54 holes and the outcome was decided by a play-off. Ironically, the last time the Strokeplay was played in the South, it ended in a marathon play-off. Cork golf club was the venue for the 2004 staging of the championship, in which Tara Delaney defeated Martina Gillen, who has strong link with the Co Cavan club, on the eighth tie hole. Delaney and Gillen are now professionals and will tee it up at Portmarnock Links later this week. Meanwhile, Lisa and her sister Leona will take on the Ladies European Tour professionals in the AIB Ladies Irish Open at Portmarnock Links from Friday to Sunday. The 14-year-old twins from Cavan and Danielle McVeigh are the three Irish players on the nine-member Vagliano Trophy team, captained by Ireland"s Mary McKenna, which will play against the Tour pros. However, Lisa prior to that Lisa is entitled to reflect on her amazing win on Sunday. The young prodigy was taken to the seventh tie hole before she defeated 21-year-old Hannah Burke from Mid-Herts GC in England. It was Lisa"s second top domestic title as she has already won the Irish Women"s Close Championship this season.