WOMEN'S HOME INTERNATIONALS

ENGLAND BEAT SCOTLAND 5-4
TO BECOME TITLE FAVOURITES

England are favourites to regain the women’s home internationals amateur golf championship after beating Scotland 5-4 in a dramatic finale to the second day’s play at Dundalk, Ireland today.
In the other match, Ireland were beaten 5 ½-3 ½ by Wales, thus killing off the Irish hopes of an historic title hat-trick.
For the second day in a row, Scotland lost the foursomes 2-1 – and, unlike the opening match against Ireland, they could not quite make up the leeway over the six singles against England.
Skipper Fiona Anderson will be reflecting on the fact that the St Regulus pairing of Krystle Caithness and Fiona Lockhart were four up on the 11th tee in the morning foursomes against Sophie Walker and Kerry Smith – and lost by one hole to the English pair.
Scotland’s winners in the singles were Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) and teenagers Krystle Caithness and Kylie Walker (Stirling University).
Jenna, fielded in the No 1 position again, beat the English women’s
Champion Felicity Johnson, by 4 and 2 after winning the 13th and 14th to go three up. That cancelled out England's 1pt lead from the foursomes to tie up the scoreline overall at 2-2.
The last four singles all went to the 18th green. Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), two up on Emma Duggleby after 14 holes, lost the 16th, 17th and 18th to go down by one hole and Fiona Lockhart went down by a similar margin to Laura Eastwood.
But 16-year-old Krystle Caithness and 19-year-old Kylie came up trumps.
Krystle, two down after 14 holes, won the 15th, 16th and 18th for victory while Kylie, two down after 11 holes, won the 12th, 16th and 18th to win.
Clare Queen (Drumpellier), in what is almost certainly her last women’s home internationals before she turns pro, had another disappointing day.
She lost with Jenna Wilson in the foursomes and by 3 and 2 to Sophie Walker in the singles.
In the last-day matches, Scotland play Wales and England face Ireland.
Although the Scots mathematically could still win the title, skipper Anderson will now probably bring into action for the first time her two international debutantes, 14-year-old Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) and 19-year-old Dundee University student Gemma Webster (Hilton Park).

Thursday scoreboard

WOMEN’S HOME INTERNATIONALS
Dundalk GC, Ireland
Day 2
IRELAND 3½, WALES 5½
Foursomes: M Gillen & T Mangan bt S Jones & L Hall 5 and 3, C Coughlan & H Nolan lost to S Hassan & B Loucks 1 hole, M Morrin & D Smith bt S Evans & T Davies 4 and 2 (2-1).
Singles: Mangan lost to Jones 4 and 3, T Delaney halved with Evans, Smith lost to Loucks 3 and 2, M Dunne lost to Hassan 3 and 2, Nolan lost to Davies 3 and 2, Gillen bt L Gould 3 and 1 (1½ - 4½).

SCOTLAND 4, ENGLAND 5
Foursomes: C Queen & J Wilson lost to F Johnson & E Duggleby 5 and 4, K Caithness & F Lockhart lost to S Walker & K Smith 1 hole, A Laing & K Walker bt K Matharu & J Ewart 5 and 4 (1-2).
Singles: Wilson bt Johnson 4 and 2, Queen lost to S Walker 3 and 2, Laing lost to Duggleby 1 hole, Lockhart lost to L Eastwood 1 hole, Caithness bt N Edwards 1 hole, K Walker bt Smith 1 hole (3-3).

How they stand:
England 2 wins, Scotland 1 win, Wales 1 win, Ireland 0 wins.