Vagliano Trophy match at Bogogno Golf Club, Italy

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND LEVEL WITH


CONTINENT OF EUROPE AFTER FIRST DAY

COLIN FARQUHARSON REPORTS
FROM ITALY
Great Britain and Ireland are level with the Continent of Europe after the first day of the Vagliano Trophy in Italy.

GB and I, who have not won the biennial competition since 2005, go into the second and final day at Bogogno Golf Club, tied on six points each with the Continent of Europe, who are bidding for six wins in a row. The morning foursomes were shared 2-2 and the singles 4-4.

GB and I’s Leona Maguire, number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking^TM, recent winner of the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship and Curtis Cup player, had to be content with two halved matches, first in the foursomes in partnership with WAGR^TM No.13 Olivia Mehaffey, and then in her singles tie against Dewi Weber.

Maguire was three down in the initial stages but chipped away at her deficit, capping her fightback by squaring the match at the 17th and halving the last.

Star performer for GB and I was another Curtis Cup player, Alice Hewson, who was five-under-par in foursomes partnership with India Clyburn and three-under-par in registering a 3 and 2 singles win over Matilda Castren from Finland.

Long-hitting Hewson was behind in the early stages but got her nose in front by the turn and stayed in the driving seat to go three up after the 15th.

Olivia Mehaffey defeated last year's youngest ever Ladies’ British Open Amateur Champion Julia Engstrom, now 16, by one hole. Mehaffey was two up after the 10th but had to dig her heels in to hold the talented youngster at bay. Engstrom squared the match by winning the 17th but Mehaffey kept calm to win the 18th for the match.
The Royal Co Down Ladies member was round in a bogey-free 65.

Despite recording five birdies, Gemma Clews lost by 3 and 2 to a brilliant performance by WAGR^TM No.3, Albane Valenzuela, who had an eagle and seven birdies and was two up at the turn.

Following defeats for India Clyburn (3 and 1 by Morgane Metraux), and Annabel Wilson (3 and 2 by Linnea Strom (Sweden), The Continent of Europe led 5½-4½ with two matches to finish.
Sophie Lamb, last year's British Women's Stroke Play Champion, halved with Puk Lyng Thomsen, who won the 14th and 15th to square the contest. The 17th was halved in birdie threes and the honours were shared after a half at the last.

With the score at 6-5 in favour of the Continent of Europe, it was left to the oldest member of the GB and I team Maria Dunne, to bring match to all square.

Up against WAGR^TM No.18 Virginia Elena Carta, Dunne played well to lead the match almost from the start. Two up after eight, Dunne went three ahead after the 12th hole. Although her lead was cut back, the former Curtis Cup player was never under severe pressure and ran out a 2 and 1 winner to level the overall score at 6-6.
In the Junior Vagliano Trophy, the Under-16s version of the competition, the Continent of Europe took the foursomes 2½-½ and the singles 4½-2½, to lead GB and I 7–2 at the halfway stage of the six-a-side match.

Lily May Humphreys was the only GB and I singles winner, defeating former British girls champion Emilie Alba Paltrinieri by 3 and 1 after being three up at the 10th.

GB and I’s Caitlin Whitehead, a late call-in to the team for Italy, fought back from two down after three to battle her way to a square match with Caterina Don.

Full results in both the Vagliano Trophy and the Junior Vagliano Trophy are available at Randa.org.

Key Quotes

Elaine Farquharson-Black

“I am happy with the outcome of the first day. It really was a roller-coaster of a day in which we were behind at one stage, got on level terms, fell behind again but our tailed wagged to share the singles.

"I thought the general standard of play in the afternoon was very high, on both sides. There were a lot of putts holed. We came from behind at Malone Golf Club two years ago and got to within one point of catching Team Europe over the final singles. So 6-6 represents a much more promising scenario for GB and I. I am really looking forward to it.


OLIVIA MEHAFFEY ROUND IN SEVEN-BIRDIE 65


As befits a planning lawyer, Elaine Farquharson Black keeps notes aboutverything. With the help of her sons Nicholas and Michael marking cards of players' hole-by-hole scores, she knew exactly how her team members had played on Day 1
Captain Elaine added:

"Just done our stats and we made 50 birdies over the first day, 35 of the in the singles which is pretty impressive. Olivia Mehaffey (pictured right) had seven  birdies and no bogeys, shooting 65.

"Four other players all made five birdies each. We only had 12 bogeys in the eight matches, so it was high-class golf from both teams."

DAY ONE SINGLES

Leona Maguire halved with Dewi Weber

Alice Hewson bt Mathilda Castren 3 and 2

India Clyburn lost to Morgane Metraux 3 and 1

Olivia Mehaffey bt Julia Engstrom 1 hole.

Annabel Wilson lost to Linnea Strom 3 and 2.

Gemma Clews lost to Albane Valenzuela 3 and 2.

Sophie Lamb halved with Puk Lyng Thomsen

Maria Dunne bt Virginia Elena Carta 2 and 1.


Overall Day 1 score at end of Friday's play


GB and 6, Continent of Europe 6