Irish leading team and individual golf after 3rd round at World University Games

Thursday 16th August 2007
 
Irish ladies leading team and individual golf after third round at World University Games
 
The trio of Irish ladies competing in the team and individual golf at the World University Games in Bangkok today is leading the team event by eight shots heading into tomorrow's final round. Danielle McVeigh (Royal County Down) carded the best score of tournament so far; a three under par 69 this morning which sees her seven shots clear of her nearest challenger; Anna Scott of Great Britain at the top of the individual leaderboard.
 
UL student Niamh Kitching carded a four over par 76 around the Watermills Golf venue whilst Cork's Gillian O'Leary had her best round of the tournament so far taking a six over par 78. The team format is three to play, two to score so with Kitching and McVeigh's combined today the Irish go into tomorrow's final round eight shots clear of Great Britain in second.

O’Leary was first out for the Irish this morning just after 8am recording six pars and three bogies on the front nine and the same on the back nine, finishing solidly with three pars in a row. The Corkonian had a smile back on her face today after her round; her best of the tournament so far after the 85 she was so disappointed to card yesterday. O’Leary is lying 33rd in the individual event.

Niamh Kitching made up one third of the next match out alongside the students from Taipei and Great Britain. Kitching, who is studying PE in UL went out in 39 recording three bogies but pulled two shots back on the par five tenth and the par four fourteenth. The Mayo woman was disappointed to finish with a bogey on the par five eighteenth but otherwise satisfied with a steady round of 76 that helped catapult this Irish trio into the lead of the team event, by an impressive eight shots from Great Britain in second.

Daneille McVeigh from Kilkeel in Co. Down impressed all around her today carding the round of the tournament so far; a three under par 69 to take a seven shot lead heading into tomorrow’s final round. The Texas A & M University student was playing with her closest challenger Anna Scott from Great Britain. Scott had an impressive front nine making it around in one under but faltered on the run in taking two over par on the back nine to finish one over par for the day.

McVeigh started with a remarkable five pars in a row and things got even better when she followed with a birdie on the par four sixth. Two more pars and a birdie on nine saw her reach the halfway point in two under for the day.

Another par was to follow on the tenth before the Royal County Down member struck a sublime tee shot over the water onto the island that is the green on the tricky par three eleventh. That shot set her up for a four foot putt which she holed to card her third birdie of the morning. Scott fortunes couldn’t have been more opposite; she found the water at the back of the green with her tee shot, was forced to play from the drop zone and took six.

Four more pars followed for McVeigh before the only blemish on her scorecard; a bogey on sixteen. She immediately made amends on the par four seventeenth with a birdie before taking par on the last to finish in 69, three under par for the day.

McVeigh is coolness personified and barely broke into a grin as she approached her beaming team mates after her round: “I’m happy enough with that. We reached all the goals we’d set for ourselves today, exceeded them in fact so that’s good. Today was the best in terms of conditions so that helped; we’ve set ourselves up well going into tomorrow but anything can happen out there so we’ve got to play our very best again to be in the medals.”

The women’s soccer team that lost out to Russia on penalties in the semi-final yesterday play the bronze medal match against Brazil tomorrow afternoon. Noel King’s side are looking forward to the encounter but will have to find a reserve of energy to fuel their challenge after such a gruelling schedule over the past nine days. The Irish are without Sligo IT’s Emma Mullin after she damaged her cruciate ligament in the pool stages, and Marie Gallagher who suffered a dislocated shoulder in a freak accident ahead of the semi-final.

Noel O’Reilly’s men side are also in action playing Kazakhstan in the play off for 13th place tomorrow evening determined to finish these Games on a high note.
Ends.

Issued on behalf of CUSAI (Colleges and University Sports Association of Ireland) by the Irish Sports Council

For further information:
Sinéad McElroy; Press Officer in Bangkok (Irish Sports Council) 00 353 87 633 8512
or on smcelroy@irishsportscouncil.ie

For live results visit www.bangkok2007.com

PLEASE NOTE: Pictures of the Irish in action will be sent reproduction fee free to your picture desk by Sportsfile www.sportsfile.com or 01-4547400

Additionally:
Golf Results
Individual scores after round 3
Lying 1st Danielle McVeigh; Rd1: 72 (E) Rd 2: 75 (+3) Rd 3: 69 (-3) Total of 216 - level par
Lying 15th Niamh Kitching: Rd 1: 83 (+11) Rd 2: 75 (+3) Rd 3: 76 (+4) Total of 234 (+18)
Lying 33rd Gillian O'Leary: Rd 1: 80 (+8) Rd 2: 85 (+13) Rd 3: 78 (+6) Total of 243 (+27)
 
Team score (lying first after 3 rounds)
                          Rd 1             Rd 2              Rd 3
Niamh Kitching    83                75                 76
Danielle McVeigh 72                75                 69
Gillian O'Leary     80                85                 78
Sub total             152              150               145
Team Total         152               302               447

Schedule of Irish in action for Friday August 17th 2007
(All times are local time; 6 hours ahead of Ireland)

Golf
8.20am Women’s team and individual; final round; Niamh Kitching, Danielle McVeigh and Gillian O’Leary

Football
1pm Women’s bronze medal match; Ireland v Brazil
4pm Men’s 13th – 14th place play off; Ireland v Kazahkstan