Olivia Mehaffey with her caddie in Morroco.
Rory McIlroy announced on June 18th that he will play for Ireland, not Great Britain, in the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. But he won’t be the first to play Olympic Golf for Ireland, Olivia Mehaffey will as she tees it up in the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China in August.
Mehaffey set to break new ground in China.
Olivia Mehaffey will make history in China later this year as Ireland’s first female golfer at the Summer Youth Olympic Games.
The sport will make its debut in Nanjing during the August 16-28 tournament – the second Summer Youth Olympic Games – with the Scarva teenager selected thanks to Order of Merit rankings success.
The 16-year-old member of Tandragee Golf Club will compete across 54 holes in the singles then team up with Ireland’s male player for the team event. The overall entry field for Zhongshan International Golf Club is set at 64 players from 32 nations.
“It is such a wonderful honour and I am so excited,” she said. “We will spend some time first in Hong Kong to try and acclimatise then it is down to the real work in China.
“I also feel so proud to be the first female player to represent Ireland in golf.”
Mehaffey has domestic tournaments planned alongside events in Estonia and Slovenia as part of preparations for the China showpiece.
Photograph of Olivia Mehaffey with her appointed caddy in Morocco during the 16-year-old’s Ladies’ European Tour debut. The Scarva teenager will head off to China later this year for the Summer Youth Olympic Games.
Story & Photograph Courtesy of the Portadown Times. Portadown is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.
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