Proud provincial titles for top Mayo golfers Shannon and Julie
Two Mayo golfers - Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe) and Julie Hassett (Achill) - have achieved proud provincial success.
Shannon ended a 13-year wait to win Connacht Women’s O18 Senior Championship at Bearna G.C. while Julie lifted the junior crown for the second time.
Back-to-back rounds of 74 were enough for Burke to finally get the piece of silverware she craved, with her +4 total.
She told Irish Golf: “I’ve been playing nicely, scoring hasn’t been fantastic at times. Sometimes I’m not getting the most out of my rounds but I felt good coming in here this week.
“I hadn’t played here before so I got up last weekend, just have a look around. Had a little bit of rain in the morning but this afternoon was lovely.”
Julie, the 2021 winner, claimed back the Connacht Women’s O18 Junior Championship title by shooting a round of 85.
Despite a shaky start that saw her double-bogey the opening hole, Hassett showed her composure and class by settling into the round and stringing together a solid run of pars between the 11th and 15th holes.
Her final score of 85 was enough to secure the championship title, edging out strong performances from Rita Keane (Newlands) and Siobhán Forde (Gort), who finished just behind in second and third place respectively.
Hassett also walked away with the Best Net prize in the Junior section, finishing on four under par (-4).
Speaking after her win, Hassett said: “It was nicer to win the second time around because I didn’t start off very well, I came back in the afternoon. I broke my trolley on the third hole.
"A nice gentleman, Darren, came out with a new trolley for me. I just settled down, it stopped raining as well – that helps. I’ll really enjoy this one and you never know, maybe more to come.”
Achill Golf Club has congratulated Hassett on her success, calling her a “fantastic ambassador” for the club and a valued member of their golfing community.
Achill Lady Captain, Karen Lyons paid tribute to Julie’s win, stating: "We’re all incredibly proud of Julie – she showed real determination and heart out there. It’s a great moment for her and for Achill Golf Club.”