Start of first combined Women's and Girls' Home Internationals

AN UP AN DOWN DAY FOR SCOTLAND 

SUPPORTERS AT CONWY

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

It was a day when a Scottish supporter would have mixed emotions after the first set of matches in the first combined Women's and Girls' Home Internationals three-day fixture, held at Conwy Golf Club, North Wales - the Curtis Cup venue four years hence.

Mixed because there was a most encouraging 7-2 win by Scotland's Under-18 girls team over their Welsh counterparts, a win that put them at the top of the first-day table as favourites England were held to a 4.5-4.5 draw by Ireland.

But Scotland's "big girls" made a disappointing start to the Women's Internationals. They lost 6-5 to 2.5 to Wales, who top this table as Ireland and England also fought out a 4.5-4.5 draw in this category.

The young Scots took a 2-1 lead from the foursomes, the highlight of which was a 7 and 5 win by U18s champion Hazel MacGarvie and Jillian Farrell.

And the Scotland girls took the singles 5-1 with the only loser, most surprisingly, the top ranked Shannon McWilliam from Aboyne. Shannon lost a spate of early holes and though she came on to her game later, it was not enough to make up the leeway.

There were wins for Joanne Free, Louise Duncan, Jennifer Rankine, plus MacGarvie and Farrell again.

In the Women's match, Scotland were by no means out of it when they trailed 2-1 to Wales after the foursomes but the Welsh were far too strong in the singles with Jess Meek, Eilidh Briggs, Chloe Goadby and Connie Jaffrey all going down. Heather Munro was the only Scotland winner. Hannah McCook lost the last two holes in her singles and was held to a square match.

Scotland's WHI team at Conwy. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

HOME INTERNATONALS Day 1

Conwy Golf Club, North Wales
WOMEN
WALES 6.5, SCOTLAND 2.5
Foursomes: 2-1
C Williams and M Lockett bt H McCook and E Briggs 3 and 2.
B Harries and B Morris bt C Jaffrey and C Young 3 and 2.
K O'Connor and L Hillier lost to H Munro and J Meek 3 and 1.

Singles: 4.5-1.5

Williams bt Meek 2 and 1
Lockett bt Briggs 3 and 2.
O'Connor halved with  McCook
Hillier bt C Goadby 4 and 3
Morris lost to Munro 2 holes
Harries bt Jaffrey 5 and 3.


IRELAND 4.5, ENGLAND 4.5
Foursomes: 2.5-0.5
O Mehaffey and L Coffey bt S Giles and E Allen 7 and 5.
J Ross and P Grant bt M MacLaren and O Winning 2 and 1.
M Dunne and J Carty halved with G Clews and S Lamb

Singles: 2-4
 Coffey lost to Clews 2 holes
Mehaffey lost to MacLaren 3 and 2
Grant lost to Lamb 5 and 3.
Dunne bt Winning 3 and 1
Ross lost to E Prior 4 and 3
S Sexton bt Allen 5 and 4.

   Ireland's WHI team at Conwy. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency


GIRLS
WALES 2, SCOTLAND 7
Foursomes: 1-2
F Evans and C Worby lost to S McWilliam and J Free 1 hole.
L Jones and C Evans-Brand bt J Rankine and J MacKintosh 3 and 2.
N Wainwright and F Vineall lost to H MacGarvie and J Farrell 7 and 5

Singles: 1-5

Jones bt McWilliam 3 and 2.
Evans-Brand lost to Free 5 and 3.
F Evans lost to L Duncan 2 holes
Worby lost to Rankine 2 and 1
H Evans lost to Farrell 3 and 1
Wainwright lost to MacGarvie 3 and 2.

IRELAND 4.5, ENGLAND 4.5
Foursomes: 1.5-1.5
N McSherry and V Clancy halved with L-M Humphreys and A Williamson.
A Wilson and M Martin bt L Brunt and A Fuller 4 and 3.
J McCarthy and L Walsh lost to E Price and I Wardle 5 and 4.
Singles: 3-3
Wilson lost to Price 3 and 1.
McSherry lost to Humphreys 3 and 2.
McCarthy halved with Williamson
R Thompson halved with Brunt.
Clancy bt S Dutrieux 6 and 5.
Martin bt Wardle 1 hole.

THURSDAY MATCHES
Scotland v England
Ireland v Wales

                   England's girls team at Conwy. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency