Lorna McClymont wins again as in-form Scot retains Irish Women's Open title

Milngavie's Lorna McClymont kept her hands on the Flogas Irish Women's Amateur Open trophy after making a successful title defence at Woodbrook in County Wicklow. Picture: Golf Ireland.

Twelve months after claiming the title at County Louth, the Milngavie member and Stirling University student held on to the coveted crown after producing another polished performance at Woodbrook.

Having opened with rounds of 68 and 67, setting the course record on consecutive days in the process, McClymont finished off the job with a solid 71 for a 16-under-par total.

She won by three shots from home player Beth Coulter, who had two eagles in her closing 71, with England’s Jessica Hall two shots further back in third place.

“I have been working on every part of my game, just putting and having confidence in hitting certain shots,” 22-year-old McClymont, who landed her Welsh win at Prestatyn after being pipped in a play-off by compatriot Jasmine Mackintosh in the Scottish Women’s Open at Troon a fortnight earlier, told Golf Ireland.

“But also having the mindset that anything can happen. Being patient and enjoying it was the main thing for me really. I tell myself it’s not over until it’s over. Anything can happen within the space of a hole.

“It’s always staying patient, when things weren’t going my way it was just like, it’s fine there are chances on the back nine I can take. I wasn’t going to be greedy and try and get things. It was just taking it as it came really.”

On an ideal day for scoring in County Wicklow, McClymont started out with a three-shot cushion and quickly showed the chasing pack she meant business by opening with a birdie.

Winner of both The R&A Student Tour Series and the British Universities and Colleges (BUCS) over the past few weeks, she then bogeyed the eighth before following birdies at the tenth and 14th with a title-winning eagle-3 at the 16th.

That left her with a four-shot lead standing on the 18th tee and not even a closing bogey could take the shine off another hugely-impressive performance from the talented Scot.

Meanwhile, McClymont’s former Stirling University team-mate, Louise Duncan, recorded her best finish so far as a professional by ending up in the top ten in the LET’s Aramco Team Series at Trump International in Florida.

After opening with scores of 69-72, the former R&A Women’s Amateur champion was tied for second and just one shot off the lead heading into the final circuit, which saw her in the same group as two-time major winner and world No 3 Lydia Ko.

After starting with back-to-back bogeys, Duncan then reeled off 11 straight pars before sandwiching a birdie at the par-5 15th with back-to-back double-bogey 6s. Two pars to finish gave her a closing 77 and a share of seventh spot as Spaniard Carlota Ciganda claimed victory.

Back in the amateur ranks, Scottish No 1 Hannah Darling slipped from inside the top ten to tied for 24th in the individual standings after following opening efforts of 71-69 with a 76 in the NCAA Women’s Division 1 Championship in Arizona.

Darling’s team, South Carolina, sit fourth, 11 shots behind Stanford, with a round to go at Greyhawk Golf Club Scottsdale.