The fog that had been hanging over Collins cleared slowly but fortunately as the first competitors teed off only the slightest trace remained. The original field of 16 was reduced to 13 due to injuries but promptly at 9.00am the first two ball of Mairead O’Toole (Poulaphouca) and Sheelagh Elmes (Portmarnock) played off. Ahead of them lay a course that, although not excessively long, was testing in that many of the greens were either well protected by sand or had testing slopes and breaks to trap the unwary.