ULSTER AND MUNSTER FIRST-DAY VICTORS
IN IRISH GIRLS' PROVINCIAL MATCHES

Ulster and Munster both scored first-day victories in the Irish girls' inter-provincial matches at Laytown & Bettystown Golf Club today.
Munster edged a 4 1/2-3 1/2 win over Leinster after trailing 2-0 from the morning foursomes but Ulster were able to achieve a more clear-cut win, by 6 1/2-1 1/2, over Connacht.
Details:
ULSTER 6 1/2, CONNACHAT 1 1/2
(Ulster names first)
Foursomes (2-0)
Victoria Bradshaw & Lucy Simpson beat Kate Gallagher & Hannah McInerney 3&2.
Lisa Maguire & Leona Maguire beat Carmel O’Connor & Hannah O’Connor 6&5.
Singles (4 1/2-1 1/2)
Victoria Bradshaw halved Kate Gallagher.
Lisa Maguire beat Hannah McInerney 9&8.
Lucy Simpson beat Carmel O’Connor 8&7.
Leona Maguire beat Hannah O’Connor 5&4.
Caoimhe Quinn lost to Sarah Helly by 1 hole.
Sarah Louise Winter beat Julie O’Gara 5&4,

LEINSTER 3 1/2, MUNSTER 4 1/2
(Leinster names first)
Foursomes (2-0)
Ciara Walsh & Aedin Murphy beat Sarah Cunningham & Holli Snelling 3&2.
Louise Mernagh & Ciara Butler beat Emma O’Driscoll & Diandra O’Connell 2 holes.
Singles (1 1/2-4 1/2)
Louise Mernagh lost to Sarah Cunningham 3&2.
Ciara Walsh lost to Holli Snelling 1 hole.
Aedin Murphy lost to Emma O’Driscoll 2 holes.
Ciara Sharkey beat Sarah Crowe 5&3.
Niamh O’Connor lost to Laura McCarthy 1 hole.
Ciara Butler halved with Diandra O’Connell.

DRAW FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 12
MUNSTER v CONNACHT
(Munster names first)
Foursomes
09.00: Sarah Cunningham & Holli Snelling v Kate Gallagher & Hannah O’Connor.
09.10: Emma O’Driscoll & Diandra O’Connell v Carmel O’Connor & Sarah Helly.
LEINSTER v ULSTER
(Leinster names first)
Foursomes
09.20: Ciara Walsh & Aedin Murphy v Victoria Bradshaw & Lucy Simpson.
09.30: Louise Mernagh & Ciara Butler v Lisa Maguire & Leona Maguire.

Wednesday report from Irish Ladies Golf Union:

ULSTER v CONNACHT
Foursomes
In the first match, Ulster's Victoria Bradshaw and Lucy Simpson were two up after four against Connacht's pairing of Kate Gallagher and Hannah McInerney. A beautiful drive followed by an equally beautiful approach shot left Victoria with only a tap in to win the fifth hole with a birdie. A good par by Kate and Hannah brought them back to two down. After 9 the Ulster pair were 3 up, but a good win by Connacht at the 10th followed by two halved holes put pressure on the Ulster pair.
After 14 holes Connacht’s spirited performance had reduced the Ulster pairs lead to 1 hole. Unfortunately, Connacht players failed to find fairway with their tee shots on 15th and 16th allowing Victoria’s splendid drive on to the 15th fairway to be placed on the green by Lucy and a par renewed their lead of 2 holes. The match ended on the 16th green where the Ulster pair sank the putt for a par sealing a 3 and 2 win.

Ulster’s second foursomes match featuring twins Lisa and Leona Maguire against Carmel O’Connor and Hannah O’Connor (not related) saw the twins win the first 3 holes, but a birdie 4 on the Par 5 4th hole reduced the gap to 2. Wins on the next 2 holes followed by 3 halved holes saw Lisa and Leona go onto the 10th tee 4 up. Further wins on the 11th and 13th clinched the match for Ulster. Credit must go to the Connachts pairs veracity in the face of the Maguire’s excellent course management.

Singles
The first singles result of the afternoon recorded an amazing 9 and 8 win by Ulster’s Lisa Maguire over Connacht's Hannah McInerney. McInerney’s steady and focussed golf simply was no match for Maguire’s scintillating form on the day.
There were never more than two holes separating Victoria Bradshaw and Kate Gallagher . Kate of Connacht took an early lead but Victoria fought back to lead by one hole at the turn and by two at the 14th hole but two superb pars by Kate brought the match level at 17. The match ended in a fitting half on the 18th.
Lucy Simpson won her match against Carmel O’Connor 8 and 7. Carmel failed to capitalise of a couple of errors allowing Lucy to retain her supremacy in the match.
Leona Maguire had a 5 and 4 over Hannah O’Connor. Leona displayed excellent course management and steady golf.
Caoimhe Quinn and Sarah Helly had a nip and tuck game which resulted in their first win in the singles. Sarah had a hole in one at the ninth, using an eight-iron. She hit the flag and the ball dropped into the hole.
Sarah Louise Winter’s 5 and 4 win over Julie O’Gara brought Ulster’s tally of singles matches to 4 ˝ against Connacht's 1 ˝ .

LEINSTER –V- MUNSTER
Foursomes
Leinster narrowly won both of their foursomes matches against Munster and go into this afternoons singles as favourites to take the overall point. Top pairing of Ciara Walsh and Aedin Murphy beat Sarah Cunningham and Holli Snelling 3&2, they sealed the match on the 15th hole where Aedin played a fine 100+ yard shot out of the rough to within 4 feet of the hole, the putt was duly sank leaving the pair 3 up with 3 to play.

In the second foursomes match Munster's Emma O'Driscoll and Diandra O'Connell were 2 down with 3 to play but won the 16th hole, the 17th was halved so Munster needed to win 18th to halve the match. Emma was forced to play a great shot out of a water hazard to try and win the hole but the Leinster duo of Louise Mernagh and Ciara Butler held their composure, won the hole and the match by 2up.

Singles
Munster's Sarah Cunningham and Leinster's Louise Mernagh had an exciting match with both halving the difficult second par 4 hole in birdies. Sarah pulled away over the back nine to win on 3 and 2 on the 16th.
Holli Snelling won by one hole against Ciara Walsh. Holli birdied the 12th to go all square and then on the 18th while hitting her second shot off a perfect drive with distractions from the road went on to par the hole and win the match. Emma O’Driscoll (Munster) beat Aedin Murphy by two holes. The match went down the final hole where Emma went of the finish the match 2 up with a par.
Ciara Sharkey gave Leinster hope in the singles by beating Sarah Crowe but Munster's Laura McCarthy beat Niamh O’Connor on the 18th by one hole to give Munster the edge and the last match was halved between Ciara Butler and Diandra O’Connell giving Munster the point.