2009 WOMEN’S INTERPROVINCIAL MATCHES Day 1

PRESS RELEASE from ILGU (sent yesterday.. apologies for delay, GGK)

ENNISCRONE GOLF CLUB

29 - 31 JULY 2009

Munster beat Leinster on day 1 and Connacht produce remarkable comeback in the singles to defeat Ulster....

Singles
Aoife Lowry secured the vital final point to ensure Munster an impressive victory against defending champions Leinster. Lowry was thrilled by her "nerve wrecking" win. The match was all square at the turn but Aoife won the 10th, 11th and 12th holes. However, opponent Phillips reduced the deficit with a birdie at 16 but Lowry held on for a 2 and 1 winning margin. Earlier in the afternoon experienced campaigner Gillian O'Leary won 4 & 3 to give Munster the edge while newcomer to the senior side, Linda Toomey, repeated her morning feat of a birdie at the first and at the last to win her match against Karen Delaney.
Connacht were up against it following defeat to Ulster in all 3 morning foursomes matches but came out with all cylinders firing in the afternoon....despite Connacht's Sarah Faller loosing the top match to International Charlene Reid her team-mates produced a destructive display of singles match-play against a shell shocked Ulster. A notable debut win was for Daryl Conroy who was brought into the side at last minute as a replacement for local Enniscrone star Sarah Helly (unavailable due to International selection next week).
Foursomes
In somewhat benign weather conditions at the Enniscrone links, Munster’s Sarah Cunningham and Gillian O’Leary had a “happy” start to their campaign with a win against Mary Dowling and Sue Phillips while the less experienced pair of Sarah Crowe and Linda Toomey opened and closed their match with birdies against Leinster’s Aedin Murphy and Ciara Butler to win 5 and 3.
Ulster’s young side started brightly against a fancied Connacht team taking all 3 foursomes matches, 2 convincingly courtesy of Victoria Bradshaw & Louise Coffey and Tara Gribben & Sarah Louise Winter. Niamh Kitching and Sarah Faller looked favourites to secure a point for Connacht, lying 1 up playing 17 they lost both the 17th and 18th to a gutsy performance from Ulster’s Charlene Reid and Nikki Currie.

Draw Day 2: Wednesday 30th July
Connacht -v- Leinster
08:00 Darragh McGowan & Emma Gilmore -v- Mary Dowling & Aedin Murphy
08:10 Anne McCormack & Sinead O'Sullivan -v- Karen Delaney & Maria Dunne
08:20 Niamh Kitching & Sarah Faller -v- Deirdre Smith & Sue Phillips
Ulster -v- Munster
08:30 Victoria Bradshaw & Louise Coffey -v- Sarah Cunningham & Gillian O'Leary
08:40 Charlene Reid & Nikki Currie -v- Linda Toomey & Sarah Crowe
08:50 Tara Gribben & Sarah Louise Winter -v- Karen O'Neill & Catherine Tucker

Day 1: Wednesday 29th July
Munster 5 Leinster 4
Foursomes
Sarah Cunningham & Gillian O'Leary bt Mary Dowling & Sue Phillips 2&1
Sarah Crowe & Linda Toomey bt Aedin Murphy & Ciara Butler 5&3
Karen O'Neill & Catherine Tucker lost to Karen Delaney & Maria Dunne 3&1
Singles
Sarah Cunningham lost to Aedin Murphy 2up
Gillian O'Leary bt Deirdre Smith 4&3
Lynda Maher lost to Mary Dowling 7&6
Linda Toomey bt Karen Delaney 3&2
Aoife Lowry bt Sue Phillips 3&1
Sarah Crowe lost to Maria Dunne 5&3

Ulster 4 Connacht 5
Foursomes
Victoria Bradshaw & Louise Coffey bt Sinead O'Sullivan & Anne McCormack 5&4
Charlene Reid & Nikki Currie bt Niamh Kitching & Sarah Faller 1up
Tara Gribben & Sarah Louise Winter bt Darragh McGowan & Emma Gilmore 6&4
Singles
Charlene Reid bt Sarah Faller 4&2
Victoria Bradshaw lost to Sinead O'Sullivan 3&2
Lucy Simpson lost to Niamh Kitching 3&2
Louise Coffey lost to Anne McCormack 3&1
Laura Grant lost to Daryl Conroy 3&2
Tara Gribben lost to Suzanne Corcoran 2&1