NEW ZEALAND BEAT GB and I IN 

OPENING ASTOR TROPHY MATCH

Great Britain and Ireland made a disappointing start to their defence of the Astor Trophy at Grange Golf Club, Adelaide in Australia.
The Ladies Golf Union team lost 4-3 to New Zealand after leading 
1 1/2-1/2 from the morning foursomes.
The Kiwis made up their deficit by winning three of the five afternoon singles.
GB and I looked certain to achieve at least an overall draw when Hayley Davis was four up on Alanna Campbell,who had not played in the morning foursomes, with six holes to play in the final singles. 
But Hayley astonishingly lost all six holes to finish two down.
That unexpected turnaround gave New Zealand their 4-3 victory.  
Bronte Law was a double winner for GB and I. She partnered Chloe Williams to a 3 and 2 success in the foursomes, then followed that up by winning the lead-off singles tie 2 and 1. 
Bronte (left) and Chloe are pictured on the first tee.
Bronte was the only GB and I winner in the singles. Charlotte Thomas gained a halved match but Connie Jaffrey, who did not play in the foursomes, Chloe Williams and Hayley Davis all lost their singles ties.
Team captain Elaine Farquharson-Black has retained the same GB and I pairings for the Day 2 foursomes against South Africa.
The Aberdeen planning solicitor summed up the first day:

"Yes, the result was disappointing, given that we were leading 1.5 to .5 at lunch. Even then we were one up playing the last in the second foursomes.

"In the afternoon we just made too many unforced errors. Whilst we made more birdies than NZ over the day's seven matches, they made more pars/fewer bogeys. At this level the matches are so close that there simply isn't room for slack shots.

"The team will regroup and refocus and come out fighting again tomorrow. We played a lot of good golf out there."

   Charlotte Thomas (left) and Hayley Davis before their foursomes match.

     Pictures by Elaine Farquharson-Black.

DAY ONE RESULTS

GREAT BRITAIN and IRELAND 3, NEW ZEALAND 4

FOURSOMES (1 1/2-1/2)
Bronte Law and Chloe Williams bt Munchen Keh and Julianne Alvarez 3 and 2.
Hayley Davis and Charlotte Thomas halved with Chantelle Cassidy and Wenyung Keh.

SINGLES (1 1/2-3 1/2)
Law bt M Keh 2 and 1.
Williams lost to Alvarez 5 and 3.
Connie Jaffrey lost to Cassidy 3 and 2.
Thomas halved with W Keh
Davis lost to Alanna Campbell 2 holes.

CANADA 2 1/2, AUSTRALIA 4 1/2

FOURSOMES (1 1/2-1/2)
Naomi Ko and Grace St Germain bt Shelly Shin and Hannah Green 1 hole.
Alisha Lau and Jaclyn Lee halved with Becky Kay and Gennai Goodwin.

SINGLES (1-4)
Ko lost to Shin 5 and 4.
St Germain lost to Green 5 and 3.
Jaclyn Lee bt Kay 3 and 2.
Michelle Kim lost to Jenny Lee 1 hole.
Lau lost to Goodwin 1 hole.

HOW THEY STAND
Australia 1pt
New Zealand 1pt
GB and Ireland 0pt
Canada 0pt
Still to play: South Africa

DAY 2 MATCHES
GB and I v SOUTH AFRICA
Foursomes
Bronte Law and Chloe Williams v Bertine Strauss and Ivanna Samu
Charlotte Thomas and Hayley Davis v Eleonara Gelletti and Lora Assad.

AUSTRALIA v NEW ZEALAND
Foursomes
Shin and Green v M Keh and Alvarez
Goodwin and Jenny Lee v Cassidy and Campbell