FIGHTING TALK FROM MARY MCKENNA AS
GB AND I TRAIL BY SIX POINTS

Great Britain & Ireland’s leading female amateur golfers face an uphill task to retain the Vagliano Trophy at Fairmont St Andrews on Saturday.
The Continent of Europe team, arguably the strongest they have ever fielded in this biennial contest, lead 9-3 at the halfway stage after sweeping aside the morning foursomes challenge of Mary McKenna’s team 4-0.
The home team played more to their individual reputations in the singles but the Continentals still won this session 5-3.
Home skipper Mary McKenna refused to be pessimistic about the eventual outcome.
"There are still 12 points to be won on Saturday - and we will be going to win them all. My team played their hearts out in very tough, windy conditions. A bit more luck out way and it could have been so different at the end of the day.
"My players are obviously disappointed and I'm disappointed for them, but certainly not with their performance. They prepared well for this match. I couldn't have asked them for any more."
Spaniard Macarena Campomanes, captain of the Continental team, said: "We played very well in the foursomes, not normally one of our strengths and they don't really know each other all that well. But we've been practising hard at foursomes play and it worked out well today. The players have a lot of confidence and it's a very strong team. I'm delighted the way they have played."
Krystle Caithness, the only Scot in the GB&I team – she is a member of the St Regulus club at St Andrews, was not fielded in the afternoon singles.
She partnered Ireland’s Tara Delaney to a 2 and 1 defeat at the hands of Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg and Belen Mozo (Spain) in the morning foursomes.
England slipped 6-0 behind on the scoreboard when they lost the top two singles.
The home team did not gain their first point of the day until 5.34 when Kerry Smith, the chef at Waterlooville Golf Club, Hampshire, cooked up a 3 and 1 win over Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg.
Another Hampshire player, Liz Bennet, won by 4 and 3 against another Swede, Caroline Westrup and the only other GB&I point came from Breanne Loucks of Wrexham. The Welsh champion won by two holes against Spain’s Belen Mozo.
Results:

FOURSOMES
(GB&I players first)

Melissa Reid (Eng) & Breanne Loucks (Wal) lost to Carlota Ciganda (Spa) & Sandra Gal (Ger) 4 and 2.
Naomi Edwards (Eng) & Kerry Smith (Eng) lost to Emma Cabrera (Spa) & D Becker (Ger) 3 and 1.
Tara Delaney (Ire) & Krystle Caithness (Sco) lost to Pernilla Lindberg (Swe) & Belen Mozo (Spa) 2 and 1.
Rachel Bell (Eng) & Liz Bennett (Eng) lost to Caroline Westrup (Swe) & Anna Nordqvist (Swe) 1 hole.

GB&I 0, Continent of Europe 4.

SINGLES
Reid lost to Ciganda 3 and 2.
Sahra Hassan (Wal) lost to Valentine Derrey (Fra) 4 and 3.
Smith bt Lindberg 3 and 1.
Edwards lost to Nordqvist 2 holes.
Loucks bt Mozo 2 holes.
Delaney lost to Becker 1 hole.
Bennett bt Westrup 4 and 3.
Bell lost to Gal 1 hole.

GB&I 3, Continent of Europe 5.

Day 1 score: GB&I 3, Continent of Europe 9.

++Full details are available on the Ladies Golf Union website: www.lgu.org