SCOTS HOPE CATRIONA’S WIN WILL

INSPIRE GIRLS AT FAIRHAVEN

Scotland team officials are hoping that Catriona Matthew’s historic victory at neighbouring Royal Lytham on Sunday will inspire her Under-18 compatriots to win the girls’ home international matches over the next three days.
The Scottish youngsters were given a break from practice on Sunday by captain Margaret MacNaughtan (Aberdeen Ladies) and manager Karen Marshall (Baberton) so that they could cheer on Catriona in the closing stages of her Ricoh Women’s British Open triumph and were thrilled to see her win.
It’s the Scots teenagers’ bad luck that they don’t have a warm-up match before they are the first to face the favourites, Ireland, while defending champions England play Wales..
Ireland are the only one of the four countries who have never won the Stroyan Cup since the girls’ tournament began in 1966.
But, paradoxically, the Irish start favourites this week because they won the European girls’ team championship in Finland, also for the first time, at the beginning of July.
The Ireland line-up includes the 14-year-old identical twins Lisa and Leona Maguire whose level of skill is way above the norm for that age, so much so that they both played for Great Britain & Ireland in the Vagliano Trophy women’s international match against the Continent of Europe in Hamburg a couple of weeks ago.
England are defending the title they won over three very wet days at Panmure Golf Club, near Carnoustie last year.
Scotland were bidding to complete a hat-trick of Stroyan Cup triumphs last year when they finished third behind champions England and runners-up Ireland.
Fairhaven, an Open championship qualifying venue, has probably the toughest start and the toughest finish at any course they have ever played – three of the first four holes from the LGU tees are par-5s and three of the last four holes are par-5s.

Scotland team is;
Lesley Atkins (Minto), Ailsa Bain (Peebles), Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Sammy Leslie (Westhill), Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Rachael Taylor (Bad Griesbach), Sammy Vass (Tain), Rachael Watton (Mortonhall).


TUESDAY FOURSOMES PAIRINGS

SCOTLAND v IRELAND

Ailsa Bain & Sammy Leslie v Leona & Lisa Maguire.

Lesley Atkins & Alyson McKechin v. Patrice Delaney & Paula Reynolds.

Eilidh Briggs & Rachael Watton v. Laura McCarthy & Emma O'Driscoll.



ENGLAND v WALES

Kelly Tidy & Heidi Baek v. Chloe Williams & Natasha Gobey.

Hayley Davis & Hannah Turland v. Gemma & Katie Bradbury.

Alexandra Peters & Holly Clyburn v. Kelly Miller & Amy Boulden.