Martina Gillen is a product of Beaverstown Golf Club since after joining the Junior Section at an early age in 1993, encouraged by her Father Larry, a Member of the Club – and a regular on the Longford team of the 1960’s.
By 1997 Gillen was part of a successful Leinster Inter-provincial team and in 1999; she won the Munster, Connaught and Midlands Girls Championships. A year later she retained the Connaught & Midlands titles and went on to become Irish Girls Champion.
That same year Martina was accepted by Kent State University on a golfing scholarship and over the course of the next few years the college in inter-state competitions winning 6 college tournaments becoming a two-time All-American Honourable Mention.
Martina Gillen graduated in 2004 with a Business Management degree.
During her college years, Martina continued to “commute” across the Atlantic competing in National competitions also representing Leinster and Ireland in the major events. In 2002 and she was runner-up in the Irish Ladies Stroke play Championship and in 2003 won the Irish Ladies Close Championship. Two years later Gillen added the Scottish Ladies Stroke play title.
In 2005 Martina was part of the winning Great Britain & Ireland team that defeated Europe in the Vagliano Trophy at Chantilly Golf Club and her dominance of domestic honours continued in 2006 when she won the Irish Ladies Open Stroke play Championship at Co. Sligo Golf Club.
Martina has represented Ireland at all levels and has been a regular on the Irish international team since 1997. Her crowning achievement in the amateur ranks was in July 2006 when she was selected on the Great Britain & Ireland team for the Curtis Cup in Bandon Dunes, USA.
Despite finishing on the losing side, Martina performed creditably and secured several crucial points.
In 2007, Martina turned professional when she qualified, with limited exemptions, for the Ladies European Tour playing 14 tournaments in her maiden season with notable results in the Portuguese, Welsh, Scottish and Dubai Opens. In November 2007, she retained her card for the 2008 Tour when she finished equal 4th at the Q-School in Bologna, Italy and the higher placing allowed her compete in more events in 2008 than in her Rookie year.
In 2008 Martina finished the Tour in 46th place in the Exemption Ranking and 50th place in the New Star Money List with 6th place finish in the Portuguese Open, 10th, in the English Open, 11th in the Welsh Open and then 11th in the UNIQA Golf Open.
Amateur
2003 Irish Close Champion,
2005 Scottish Stroke play champion
2005 Vagliano Team
2006 Irish Stroke plays Champion
Represented GB&I in the 2006 Curtis Cup at Bandon Dunes, USA
Professional Highlights - 2009
Martina played in 16 tournaments and recorded a season-best tie for 26th at the AIB Ladies Irish Open. She retained her card with a tie for 63rd at the season-ending Omega Dubai Ladies Masters. Martina finished 87th on the Henderson Money List with earnings of €16,567.75. She also tied for 10th at the Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup, representing Ireland alongside Rebecca Coakley.
In 2010 Martina Gillen is currently 108th on The Henderson Money List with €12,483.00.
Fact file
Date of Birth: January 7th 1982
Attachment: Team Ireland Golf
Place of Birth: Dublin, Ireland
Residence: Co. Cavan Ireland
Turned Pro: 27th November 2006
Exemption Status Top 80 from Exempt Rankings
Ladies European Tour Statistics
Career Earnings (Euro): 81,039.39
Tournaments Played: 64
Tournaments Won: 0
Top Ten Finishes: 2
Completed Rounds: 144
Lowest Round: 66
Stroke Average: 74.06
Total vs Par: +287
Average vs Par: +2.08
