Longford’s Deirdre Smith crowned Irish Senior Golf Champion
Aughnacliffe native secures dramatic title triumph on the 19th hole
Longford golfer Deirdre Smith, a native of Aughnacliffe who has been a member of the Co Louth club for many years, overturned the disappointment of losing last year’s decider in Kilkeel to claim a dramatic Irish Senior Women’s Amateur Close Championship win on the 19th hole of her play-off against Sinead Benedetti (Roscommon).
Leading qualifier Smith advanced to the final of the Irish Senior Women’s Amateur Close thanks to a 5 & 3 win against Maria O’Reilly (Headfort) while Benedetti had a 3 & 1 victory over Tracy Eakin (Dooks).
It was an enthralling final and when Smith got up and down from a greenside bunker on 18 to force a play-off, she had the momentum behind her and won with a par on the first extra hole.
“I lost it in pretty poor fashion last year and I was really disappointed, so I set out to exorcise those demons today,” said Smith.
“Anytime you win an Irish championship it takes a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication and a lot of soul searching at times and to be proud of that is good. They are the really important things; the trophy is not really what it’s all about, it's all the other stuff that people don’t see.”