Scotland runners-up again in Girls' Home Internationals

   England, champions again at the Girls Home Internationals (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

RAMPANT ENGLAND WIN STROYAN


CUP FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW

England showed no mercy in beating Wales 9-0 to keep the Stroyan Cup with a third successive title win in the Girls Home International Matches at Bangor Golf Club, Northern Ireland. They won all three of their matches in impressive style with a young squad.
Scotland claimed the Swansea Spoon as runners-up for the second year in a row. They beat Ireland 5 1/2-3 1/2 to finish with two wins to their credit – one more than they managed last year at Fairhaven.
Mortonhall’s Rachael Watton won the top singles against Ireland, beating Emma O’Driscoll by 3 and 2. Rachael had the better of the outward half but lost a two-hole lead and was all square after 10. The Scot then won the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th to surge four up. O’Driscoll stopped the slide by winning the 15th but a half at the next ended the match
Scottish girls champion Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) recovered her form with a 4 and 3 win over Jessica Carty. Lesley was three up at the turn with a sub-par outward half. She went four up at the 11th but lost the 14th before finishing off the match by winning the 15th.
The last few matches had the worst of the day’s weather, lashing rain at times.
Hannah McCook (Abernethy) ended her match more quickly than most. She did not lose a hole in registering a 7 and 5 win over Laura McCarthy. Hannah won the third, fourth, fifth and seventh to be four up at the turn. She added the 10th, 11th and 13th to her success story to end the match with a concession by the Irish player at the 13th.
Ireland got their first singles point when Laura Grant beat Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) on the last green. There was never more than a hole in it either way but the Scot seemed to have the edge when she won the 16th to go one up. But Grant won the short 17th with a par 3 to square the match and then took the last as well on a concession for a come-from-behind victory.
Ireland got another win, this time by two holes from Sarah Helly over Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw). Helly won the fourth, fifth and sixth to be three up and was still three up after 11. MacDonald hit back with wins at the 13th and 14th but then lost the 15th to slip two down again with three to play. After a half at the 16th, the Scot kept her hopes alive of salvaging a square game by winning the short 17th but she eventually conceded the 18th to go down by two holes to Helly.
That left Scotland leading 4 ½-3 ½ with only the Ailsa Summers v Anna Courtney tie to finish. Ailsa from Carnoustie was twice three up, the second time after 10 holes. But Anna mounted a great fightback to win the 12th, the 15th and the 16th to be all square with two to play.
Summers rallied to edge ahead again with a 3 at the short 17th and she clinched a two-hole victory with a par 4 at the 18th.
Rachael Watton and Hannah McCook were jointly the best points earners in the Scotland line-up. They earned 4pt apiece out of a possible 6.
The "MVP" of the tournament was England's Lauren Taylor (Woburn) with 4 1/2pt out of five.

                  Scotland, runners-up- for the second year in a row (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency)


DAY 3 RESULTS

ENGLAND 9, WALES 0
Foursomes (3-0)
Hayley Davis and Georgia Hsll bt Chloe Williams and Sara Rees-Evans 2 holes.
Alexandra Peters and Elizabet Mallett bt Amy Boulden and India Friswell 5 and 3.
Heidi Baek and Emily Taylor bt Katie Bradbury and Rachel Lewis 2 and 1.
Singles (6-0)
Davis bt Boulden 2 and 1.
Mallett bt Bradbury 1 hole.
Emily Taylor bt Williams 3 and 2.
Bronte Law bt Rees-Evans 1 hole.
Peters bt Kelly Miller 7 and 5.
Lauren Taylor bt Lewis 4 and 3.

IRELAND 3 1/2, SCOTLAND 5 1/2
Foursomes (1 ½-1 ½)
Emma O’Driscoll and Laura Grant bt Eilidh Briggs and Rachael Watton 5 and 4.
Laura McCarthy and Amy Farrell lost to Hannah McCook and Gabrielle MacDonald 1 hole.
Paula Grant and Jessica Carty halved with Alyson McKechin and Rachael Taylor.
Singles (4-2)
O’Driscoll lost to Watton 4 and 2.
Carty lost to Lesley Atkins 4 and 3.
Laura Grant bt McKechin 1 hole..
Sarah Helly bt MacDonald.2 holes
Anna Courtney lost to Ailsa Summers 2 holes.
McCarthy lost to McCook 7 and 5.
HOW THEY FINISHED
1 England 3pt.
2 Scotland 2pt.
3 Wales 1 pt.
4 Ireland 0pt.