Ireland's team of Under-18 European champions in Finland

It has taken Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk a few days to be able to show you an image of the Irish girls with captain Sinead Keane after their historic victory in the European girls' team championship in Finland (Thanks to the Irish Ladies Golf Union for sending it to us). Left to right: Laura McCarthy (Muskerry), Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush, Sinead Keane, Leona next and then Lisa Maguire.

Both the Maguire sisters were yesterday named in the European team for the Ping Junior Solheim Cup match against the United States in Illinois in August.
The Irish LGU website has the following quotes from the twins:

Leona said: “I am really looking forward to this event. Last week at the European Girls’ Team Championship, Ireland played really well and Lisa and I were unbeaten in the foursome matches. It is great to have her in the team. We would like to bring the Cup home to Europe.”

Lisa added:”We might look exactly similar to one another but our swing is different. You can definitely see the difference. Right now, I hit it a little bit further and Leona might be a little bit better around the green. I am so happy about receiving a wild card.”

Personal view by Colin Farquharson.

I think it's a great pity that none of the European title-winning Irish quartet has entered the Girls' British open championship, to be held at West Lancashire Golf Club from August 10 to 14.
The Maguire twins, only 14 years old, just can't fit the British girls' event into their crowded schedule - Vagliano Trophy match in Germany (July 24-25) followed by Girls' Home Internationals at Fairhaven GC, Lancashire (August 4 to 6)) and now a trip across the Atlantic to play in the Junior Solheim Cup match (August 18-19).
Stephanie Meadow is going back to the States where she is based for most of the year to compete or try to qualify for the United States girls championship.
I do not know why Laura McCarthy has not entered the British girls' championship .... in which there was not a single Irish competitor at Monifieth last year.
Times have obviously moved on since girls of outstanding talent like our own Vikki Laing won the Scottish girls match-play title a record-breaking four years in a row (1996-97-98-99) and before that Kathryn Imrie won the Scottish Under-21 girls troke-play championship in three successive years (1985-86-87).
That is just not happening nowadays because the top Under-18 girls are playing in adult competitions rather than in their own age groups. Take Carly Booth for instance. Instead of defending the Scottish Under-18 girls' title at Lanark this week, she was down at The Berkshire on Monday, competing, unsuccessfully, in the Ricoh Women's British Open pre-qualifying competition.
I am delighted that Carly will be in the field for the Girls' British Open next month.
I think I'm correct in saying Sally Watson has not played in the Scottish girls' match-play since she won the title as a 13 or 14-year-old in 2005. Sally reached the final of the British girls' championship in 2006 and would have been still young enough to the enter both the Scottish and British Under-18 events this summer. But hasn't!
Once upon a time you look could pick up the Golfer's Handbook and flick through the pages of past winners' of girls events in Britain and Ireland and you could tell who were the top Under-18 players of their day.
Not now, because the top girls are passing up their potential title-winning years to play in adult golf.
The Girls' British open championship used to be the pinnacle of individual achievement for under-18 year-olds, just as the Scottish girls' championships were not to be missed by rising Scots stars.
Perhaps it's me that's been left behind by changing values?
Colin Farquharson

+You can E-mail your view to Colin@scottishgolfview.com.