IRISH-BORN ALISON WALSHE

WILL PLAY AGAINST GB&I IN

CURTIS CUP MATCH

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Born May 14, 1985 in Galway, IRELAND ... selected earlier this week by the United States Golf Association to play for the UNITED STATES against Great Britain & Ireland in the Curtis Cup match over the Old Course, St Andrews at the end of May.

She's Alison Walshe, pictured right, currently a senior (final-year) student at the University of Arizona, where she is the star member of the Wildcats' team on the US women's college circuit and, it goes without saying, a very good player indeed.

Earlier this month Alison won the opening event on the Orange Blossom Tour, the prestigious Harder Hall Invitational tournament, and in 2007 she won the North and South Championship, neither of these is a college competition.

She is the fifth-ranked college player in the States and the eighth-ranked female amateur in America.

Alison and her parents emigrated from Ireland to the Boston area of the States in the 1990s and she grew up there, eventually becoming a United States citizen. She has a US passport.

Just have a look at the highlights on her college golfing CV on the University of Arizona website and, if you are British or Irish, just think how much stronger a GB&I team would be with Alison Walshe in it instead of playing against it:

Junior (2006-07): Competed in all thirteen events for the Wildcats…Named as a first team All-American by the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) and second team All-American by Golfweek magazine…Garnered first team All Pac-10 accolades…Also named to the honorable mention All Pac-10 Academic Team…Led the Wildcat squad in every statistical category, including stroke average (73.35), top 10/20 finishes (nine), low round score (67), low tournament score (207), and rounds at or under par (11)…Won three tournaments as an individual, including victories at the Mason Rudolph Championship, the Stanford Pepsi Invitational, and the BYU Dixie Classic…Finished sixth at both the Pac-10 Championships and the NCAA Central Regional…Competed for the United States at the 32nd Annual Fuji Xerox U.S.A. vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship, posting a 2-0 mark in singles play…Also competed in the 2007 U.S. Amateur Championship in August.
Sophomore (2005-06): Attended Tulane University….Team won the Conference USA championship…Conference Player of the Year…Louisiana Player of the Year…All-conference team…Second team All-American…Placed second at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship after carding a total of 212 (-1)…Ranked 10th in the Fall 2005 Golfstat Cup Rankings.
Freshman (2004-05): Attended Boston College…Big East Conference individual champion…Big East Conference Player of the Year…Won three tournaments…Shot a career best total of 69 at the Rutgers Invitational, where she finished even-par 144 for a 13-stroke victory…Finished in the top ten in each event that she competed in throughout the season…Finished the season with a 75.76 stroke average.
High School: Westford Academy, Westford, Mass…Earned four letters in basketball and golf and two letters in tennis…Dual County all-conference player four years for golf…Boston Player of the Year twice for golf…Golf state champion during senior year…Team went undefeated three of four years.
Personal: Full Name: Alison M. Walshe…Born May 14, 1985, in Galway, Ireland…Daughter of John and Mary Walshe…Academic major of interest is Inter-disciplinary Studies…Wants to play professional golf or become a sports marketer…Has one brother, David, and one sister, Sarah Jane…Lists hobbies as going to the beach, spending time with friends, and traveling…Fan of Boston sports teams, especially the Red Sox.