LAUREN TAYLOR WILL SET THE EUROPEAN WOMEN'S TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP IN MOTION

England’s Lauren Taylor will hit the first shot when the European Ladies’ Team Championship gets underway at Fulford Golf Club, York, tomorrow morning. Lauren (Woburn, Image © Leaderboard Photography) will be first on the tee at 7.30am, followed by players from Sweden and Spain, whose teams were winners and runners-up respectively when this event was last held in 2011.  She will be followed by Sarah-Jane Boyd (Truro) at 8am, Bronte Law (Bramhall) at 8.30am, Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) at 11am, Georgia Hall (Remedy Oak) at 11.30am and Hayley Davis (Ferndown) at 12 noon. They made their final preparations in today’s second practice round, played before the splendid opening ceremony took place in warm sunshine. Team captain Emma Brown commented: “We are ready to go. We’ve had another good practice when everyone played well, scored well and got very competitive amongst each other! It will be nice to get going tomorrow.” The championship was formally opened when the Yorkshire Volunteer Band led in the 19 competing teams, which each took their place beside their national flag. They were welcomed by Barbara Saville, the Fulford president; Pam Benka, the England Golf president; Julie Gunnell, the Lord Mayor of York; and Lorna Bennett, the chairman of the championship committee. The championship begins with stroke play qualifying rounds tomorrow and on Wednesday. The best five scores from each team of six will count each day and the results will determine the teams’ places in the matchplay draw. The first eight teams will contest the medals in the championship flight, while the remaining teams play for place in the other two flights. The Russian team had to withdraw from the championship early today after encountering visa difficulties. The 19 teams which will play are:  Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and Wales. EDITOR'S NOTE: Scotland's team is: Gemma Dryburgh, Alyson McKechin, Ailsa Summers, Rachael Watton, Eilidh Briggs and Jess Meek. Admission is free to the championship and spectators are very welcome. Full details at www.englandgolf.org/euro2013 Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193