Mixed fortune for Oonagh and Adam
LIFE brings its up and downs but golf continues to put a spring in Oonagh Purfield-Goulding’s stride and a smile on her face.
It’s 20 years since the County Louth player was awarded her first Irish cap, teeing it up with Lillian Behan, Alison Coffey, Elaine Dowdall, Hazel Kavanagh, Tricia Mangan, Michelle McGreevy, Suzanne O’Brien at Burnham and Berrow in Somerset.
She lost to Behan on the 19th in the final of Irish Ladies Close at Clandeboye that year but she has enjoyed her share of successes since then, with the latest coming on Sunday when she teamed up with Adam Doran to win the East of Ireland Mixed Foursomes Championship at Castleknock Golf Club.
Purfield-Goulding and Doran opened with a 74 in sunny but blustery conditions to share the lead with Clandeboye’s Jack Hopley and Jessica Ross, one shot ahead of the field heading into the final 18 Holes.
Conditions changed in the afternoon and the course proved even more testing with high winds, but Doran and Purfield-Goulding continued to lead the way and returned a 76 to finish on 150 and win by a stroke from playing partners Ross Steedman and Katie O’Hart from Courtown.
Defending champions Marc Nolan (Dun Laoghaire) and Lauren Murray (Delgany) finished four strokes behind to take third place after a countback while Gowran Park’s Paul Whelan and Aisling Costelloe had the best nett.
Purfield-Goulding was suitably chuffed to team up with left-hander Doran and bring some silverware back to Baltray.
“There’s life in the old girl yet,” the two handicapper joked. “We had never played together before but he played on the Irish Mixed team with County Louth this year, which I managed and he’s a Senior Cup player, playing off scratch
“I’ve played in the event quite a number of times – I wouldn’t like to say how many – but the first time I played in it was with Gary McNeill and I also played with Dave Errity and with [husband] Niall [Goulding]. It’s a great event and when I saw it on the schedule this year, I said I’d play.
“We were five over for one particular hole but only finished six over so we were very steady and consistent because conditions were tough.”
A past winner of the Irish Under 23 Strokeplay and Matchplay titles, Oonagh played in three European Team Championship and two Home Internationals but she has played sparingly in recent years
“It’s hard to juggle life and children and work, and travel, and still play golf,” she said.