Tegan Gordon (Photo: Laytown & Bettystown Golf Club FB page)

Young Laytown-Bettystown golfer bidding for title this week

Tegan Gordon from the Laytown & Bettystown club will this week compete in the Irish Girls Close Golf Championship as one of the top 52 players' in the country.

The action will take place from 7.30am on Wednesday over the par 72 Mallow course (19th -22nd July) with the top 52 girls in action. 

Tegan is set to play her first round of 18 holes at 9.40am and the second round at 2.40pm on a hectic opening day.

The line up for her are rounds are - Tegan Gordon (Laytown & Bettystown), Niamh Carmody (Tralee) and Kaelin O'Keeffe (Ballykisteen).    

A new name is guaranteed to be engraved into the Blake Cup this year as Annabel Wilson (Lurgan) and Julie McCarthy (The Island), who have won the title for the last four years between them, are unable to compete.

 Five of the six girls' who represented Ireland at the Girls' European Team Championships in Finland last week will be in action at Mallow also.

Munster Girls' Champion Sara Byrne (Douglas), Leinster Girls' Champion Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) alongside Ulster Girls' Champion Maeve Cummins (Lurgan) are all on form to bid for the top spot while Ellen O'Gorman (Milltown) and Kate Lanigan (Hermitage), who both held a 100 per cent winning record at last week's Interprovincial Matches, will also be confident of a good week.

 The 2016 Pat Fletcher Trophy winner Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) and her Ulster teammate Emma Forbes (Royal Portrush) as well as 12-year-old Emma Fleming (Elm Park) will be looking to impress after consistent seasons to date.

 Competitors will play 36 holes qualifying on Wednesday 19th July before the top 32 girls progress to the Matchplay stages while the defeated first round players will compete for the Plate.