SCOTS LOSE TO ENGLAND BUT REGAIN SOME PRIDE IN SINGLES

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
England go into the final day of the Women's Home Internationals at Hillside Golf Club, Lancashire as the only team with with a 100 per cent record and favourites to win the title for the first time since Dunbar in 2007.
They need only a draw in their final match against Ireland to secure the Miller Trophy.

Scotland, the defending champions, suffered their second defeat of the week when they lost 6-3 to England who took a grip on the outcome by making a 3-0 clean sweep of the morning foursomes.

There was some consolation for skipper Fiona Norris who gave the singles line-up a shake-up after the morning drubbing and was rewarded for some enterprising thinking. She took the bold step of leaving out both the Briggs sisters, Megan and Eilidh, from the singles.

Scotland, with champion Louise Kenney playing No 6 instead of the traditional No 1 position, regained some of their lost pride by sharing the singles 3-3.
Too late now, but one cannot help but think that if Scotland had played with this spirit on Wednesday afternoon against the irish, they would not have won just 1 1/2pt out of a possible six. 

Kelly Tidy extended the England lead to 4-0 by beating Jane Turner 5 and 3. Tidy never looked back after winning the first three holes.and had four birdies in all in a quality performance by the 2010 British champion.

Pamela Pretswell put Scotland's first point of the day on the board by beating Charlotte Wild 3 and 1 in the lead-off singles.

Pretswell was three up after six holes and was four up after 11 holes.

Holly Clyburn made it 5-1 for England with a 5 and 3 win over international debutante Rebecca Wilson. Clyburn won five holes in a row from the 12^th

Bronte Law chalked up a sixth point for Scotland by beating Kelsey MacDonald 2 and 1. Youngster Law was two up at the turn and four up after 11. Then MacDonald rallied to win the 12^th with a birdie 3, and also the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th to be all square with three to play.

Law conjured up a birdie 2 at the 16^th to halt the Scot's charge and go one up again. She also won the 17^th for a 2 and 1 victory.

Alyson McKechin scored a second point for Scotland by beating Charlotte Ellis by one hole. The Scots teenager made a great start by winning the first two holes but she was pulled back to square after four and had to fight her way back into a two-hole lead with a birdie 3 at the 14^th. Ellis won the 15^th to be one down going into the closing holes.

McKechin held on to her narrow lead by halving the last two holels, pitching dead for a 5 at the last after her first chip went over the green.

Scottish champion Louise Kenney, fielded as the tail-gunner by skipper Fiona Norris, won the last tie, beating young Georgia Hall 2 and 1 after going three up through eight holes.

Wales bounced back well from their 6-3 defeat by England on the first day to win 6-3 against Ireland, 5-4 conquerors of Scotland.

RESULTS

DAY 2

WALES 6, IRELAND 3

Foursomes (2-1)

Amy Boulden and Becky Harries bt Louise Coffey and Karen Delaney 2 and 1.

Chloe Williams and Katie Bradbury lost to Charlene Reid and Gillian O'Leary 2 and 1.

Katherine O'Connor and Lucy Gould bt Lisa Maguire and Paula Grant 2 and 1.

Singles (4-2)

Boulden lost to Maguire 1 hole.

Katie Bradbury bt Coffey 4 and 2.

Williams bt Reid 1 hole.

O'Connor bt Chloe Ryan 3 and 1.

Gould lost to O'Leary 1 hole.

Harries bt Emma O'Driscoll 5 and 4.

ENGLAND 6, SCOTLAND 3

Foursomes (3-0)

Lauren Taylor and Charley Hull bt Louise Kenney and Kelsey MacDonald 6 and 5.

Charlotte Ellis and Charlotte Wild bt Pamela Pretswell and Alyson McKechin 3 and 2.

Georgia Hall and Bronte Law bt Megan Briggs and Eilidh Briggs 6 and 5.

Singles (3-3)

Wild lost to Pretswell 3 and 1.

Kelly Tidy bt Jane Turner 5 and 3.

Ellis lost to  McKechin 1 hole.

Law bt MacDonald 2 and 1.

Holly Clyburn bt Rebecca Wilson 5 and 3

Hall lost to Kenney 2 and 1.

FRIDAY'S FINAL MATCHES

 Ireland v England, Scotland v Wales

HOW THEY STAND

England 2 wins, Ireland 1 win, Wales 1 win, Scotland 0 wins.