Kate Lanigan picked the perfect time to make her first cut at the Women’s Amateur Championship. In Ireland, at the course she holds student membership and in front of a packed crowd.
Lanigan may be from Hermitage Golf Club but for this week, Portmarnock surely is home and she will take the bulk of the local support into the matchplay stages after breezing through the 36-hole qualifying.
The 23-year-old only joined the club towards the end of last year upon the beginning of her Masters degree in Maynooth University but she has been feeling the love this week.
“It was amazing,” Lanigan smiled after carrying a large gallery to the clubhouse. “The claps and the cheers on the back nine were really appreciated, probably when I needed them most. Just wanting to hit good shots to hear a clap so the locals have been amazing.”
Lanigan has come out on the wrong side of some close calls when it comes to the cut line in the Women’s Amateur Championship but she could enjoy her last few holes on Tuesday as she breezed into the top-64 in 27th place on seven-over after rounds of 76 and 75.
A 74 would have given her a personal best around Portmarnock had she not closed with a three-putt bogey but she has been delighted with how she has played so far.
“Yesterday was very tough I was delighted with four over especially coming in. Today was a lot more benign, annoyed to finish with a three-putt bogey on the last because that would have been my best score on the course but happy to finish the way I did. Still learning how to play the course I don’t think I’ll ever accomplish it!”
The Women’s Amateur, on home soil, at a club she is a member of has been earmarked for some time in Lanigan’s calendar and now that she has ended her strokeplay hoodoo in the event she would love to go on a run in the matchplay.
“It would mean a lot it would get a lot of people out. The club has done so much work, everyone is complimenting the course, the event has ran so smoothly. The volunteers and members have been great so I want to do well to do the club justice.”