In the News - Rebecca Coakley

Last August at the Ladies Scottish Open at Archerfield Links Rebecca Coakley of Team Ireland was within reach of the trophy - holding a two stroke lead after 14 holes – only to take an eight on the par-four 15th, doubling the 16th and then bogeying the 17th to drop seven shots and lose out on a historic win. 

A week later Coakley finished tenth at the Finnair Masters carding the lowest round of the final day – along with Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands – completing her Sunday round at Helsinki Golf Club in 67. 

The momentum carried forward the following week in Austria during the UNIQA Ladies Golf Open presented by Raiffeisen when Coakley signed for rounds of 68, 69 and 72 - to secure 6th place. 

Last season Rebecca recorded three top ten finishes, posting season best ties for fifth place at both the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in China and the Daishin Securities Korean Ladies Masters in Korea. Her next best finish was a tie for 7th at the Randstad Open de France Dames. 

She also posted four additional top 20 finishes in Wales, Austria, Portugal and Dubai to finish the season 34th in the rankings and 13th in the Solheim Cup standings. 

In 2003 Coakley finished sixth in the Australian Open before spending some time in Japan where she played in mini-tour events – although failed to secure her tour card. She later switched to the Ladies European Tour [LET] coming through the qualifying school at the first attempt. 

Coakley started playing golf at the age of 13 and credits her parents as the individuals who most influenced her career. She qualified for the Tour on her first attempt. 

Rebecca finished in 34th place in the 2010 Henderson Money List with €61,6347.40 

Professional Career Highlights 

T3rd 2006 Tenerife Ladies Open. 

Shot 63 (-9) Round 1 of the 2008 Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open. 

Amateur Career 

2000 Coakley won the South Australian Amateur and Stroke Play competition. 

2001 finished second at the Australian Stroke Play Championship 

2002 Coakley won the Irish Amateur Championship and the Irish Stroke Play Championship 

Fact File 

Born: April 25th, 1981 in Adelaide, Australia 

Residence: Carlow, Ireland 

Attachment: Team Ireland Golf 

Turned Pro: 2002

Statistics 

Career Earnings: (Euro) 297,540.92 

Tournaments Played:117 

Tournaments Won: 0 

Top Ten Finishes: 12 

Completed Rounds: 389 

Lowest Round: 63 

Stroke Average: 73.11 

Total vs Par: +402 

Average vs Par +1.12

Rebecca Coakley’s To Do List

Rebecca Coakley

Some people make a wish list of to-dos before they die, which is called a ‘bucket list’ (i.e. ‘kick the bucket’). Here Rebecca Coakley from Carlow in Ireland outlines her top ten….

1. I have a fear of heights, so I’d like to base jump off a building

2. Learn a language

3. Go snowboarding

4. Get covered in spiders to try to cure my fear of arachnophobia

5. See the seven wonders of the world

6. Visit Kenya

7. Sky dive

8. Win a tournament

9. Be in a fighter jet

10. Have someone like Michael Schumacher drive me around in an F1 car.

Coakley and Codd Celebrate

Seventh-year Ladies European Tour player Rebecca Coakley married PGA professional golfer and Tour caddie Shane Codd at a traditional Irish wedding earlier this week.

Coakley, who hails from Carlow in Ireland, married Codd at a church in AbbeyLeix, County Laois, followed by a tremendous wedding breakfast at nearby Castle Durrow, attended by family and friends.

The party included former Ladies European Tour golfers Joanne Morley, Kirsty S Taylor and Carly Bridge, as well as former tour caddie Dan Keane. Carly was a bridesmaid along with Rebecca’s younger sister Emily. 

Coakley finished 36th on the LET’s Henderson Money List for the 2010 season with a season best tie for fifth at the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in China, but she is aiming to step up her campaign in 2011. 

She will be looking for her first victory in her quest to represent the home nation at The Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Dunsany, County Meath, when the top 12 European players will face the top 12 American professionals from September 23-25th. 

Her long-time partner Codd heads the Caddies Association on the Ladies European Tour and was the full time bag man for Becky Brewerton last season, although he also caddied for Laura Davies when she won the Hero Honda Women’s Indian Open in New Delhi in November. 

The pair will begin their 2011 season at the season opener, the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, at Commonwealth Golf Club in Melbourne from February 3rd -6th.

Congratulations!