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Wednesday, September 13, 2006

SCOTLAND BEATEN BY WALES

WOMEN’S HOME INTERNATIONALS
Frilford Heath GC, Oxfordshire
Day 1

IRELAND 3 ½, ENGLAND 5 1/2
Foursomes: Tricia Mangan & Martina Gillen lost to Kerry Smith & Sophie Walker 1 hole; Claire Coughlan & Danielle McVeigh lost to Rachel Bell & Naomi Edwards 3 and 2; Deirdre Smith & Maura Morrin halved with Elizabeth Bennett & Melissa Reid (1/2-2 ½)
Singles: Mangan lost to K Smith 4 and 3, D Smith bt Walker 1 hole, Coughlan halved with F Parker, Morrin bt F Johnson 1 hole, Gillen halved with Reid, McVeigh lost to Bell 1 hole (3-3).


WALES 5, SCOTLAND 4
Foursomes: Breanne Loucks & Sahra Hassan lost to Heather MacRae & Sally Watson 2 holes; Tara Davies & Rebecca Harries bt Martine Pow & Sara Bishop 4 and 3; Jo Nicolson & Katherine O’Connor lost to Jenna Wilson & Roseanne Niven 3 and 2 (2-1).
Singles: S Evans bt Wilson 2 and 1, Loucks bt K Caithness 5 and 4, Hassan bt Pow 4 and 2, Davies lost to Watson 1 hole, Harries lost to L Kenney 5 and 3, Nicolson lost to MacRae 4 and 3 (3-3).

DISAPPOINTING START BY SCOTS - NOW FOR ENGLAND.

Scotland made a disappointing start to the women’s home international matches at Frilford Heath Golf Club, Oxfordshire today.
Chasing their first title win since 1991 and 1992, the Scots went down 5-4 to Wales while defending champions England beat Ireland 5 ½-3 ½.
Wales took a 2-1 advantage in the morning foursomes and widened their lead to 4-1 when their national left-handed champion Stephanie Evans beat Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) 2 and 1 in the top singles and Curtis Cup player Breanne Loucks overpowered Scottish Under-21 champion Krystle Caithness by 5 and 4.
Young Sahra Hassan got the fifth point which clinched victory by beating Scottish champion Martine Pow (Selkirk) by 4 and 2.
Scotland’s tail wagged with Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), not fielded in the foursomes, beating Rebecca Harries 5 and 3 and Heather MacRae (Dunblane) winning by 4 and 3 over Jo Nicolson.
Then, in the last tie to finish, 15-year-old Sally Watson (David Leadbetter Golf Academy), beat Tara Davies by winning the 18th hole after the Welsh player had squared the match by winning the 15th and 16th.
Heather MacRae and Sally Watson were Scotland’s only double-winners of the first day. They were successfully paired by team captain Margaret MacNaughtan (Aberdeen Ladies) to win the top foursomes by two holes against Breanne Loucks and Sahra Hassan.
What a difference 12 months make! Last year, Sally was one of the youngest players ever to be selected for the Scotland squad for a women's home internationals series - but was not fielded by skipper Fiona Anderson in either the foursomes or singles on any of the three days.
Since then, of course, Sally has been a member of the winning Scotland team in the girls' home internationals a few weeks ago and also reached the final of the British girls' championship.