Danielle McVeigh has won the Lancome Irish Women’s Close Championship at Carlow Golf Club but needed extra holes to see off the challenge of Karen Delaney.
The Royal County Down club member birdied the 18th hole to force extra holes and then beat local favourite Delaney.
McVeigh was four back with seven holes played but a barnstorming finish saw her grab a brilliant win.
McVeigh said: 'It was good fun although it wasn’t looking good for a while. I struggled early on to hit the shots I wanted to but I refocused on the eighth, birdied it and never looked back after that.'
Her birdie at the eighth cut the deficit to three and the Irish international followed up by winning the ninth, 12th and 13th to draw level with Delaney, a former Close Champion and Carlow GC member.
However, Delaney responded by winning the next two holes and when the 16th was halved, McVeigh was two down with two to play and in real danger of missing out.
Once again, she dug deep, won the 17th with a par and then on the par five 18th Danielle hit driver and three-wood to be short of the green in two.
A chip to 15 feet was followed by a birdie putt which sent the two players back down the par five first.
Playing downwind, Danielle cracked a driver down the fairway, ‘one of her best’ and followed that up with a nine-iron to 40 feet and two putts later she was crowned champion.
McVeigh added: 'I haven’t played in the Close for five years and I knew this was likely to be my last chance to win it.
'I have been playing well for a couple of months but this week has been the first time that I managed to start hitting it well and putting well.
'I did feel a bit of pressure at start. I knew I was expected to have a good Championship but I only wrapped up my exams on Friday, so I didn't really come into the event with great expectations.
'It's a title that means a lot to me and ranks up there with my British and Scottish Strokeplay wins. I really had to play some good golf to win and I think overall I played some of the best golf that I have ever played.'
Next on the horizon for McVeigh is the British Match Play Championship at Royal Portrush which gets underway on 7 June followed by the Irish Women’s Strokeplay event.
