Europeans seize the initiative

Published on Friday 24 July 2009 22:52

GREAT Britain & Ireland, seeking to avenge a record 15-9 defeat at St Andrews two years ago, are trailing the Continent of Europe 7-4 at the halfway stage of the two-day women's amateur international team golf match for the Vagliano Trophy at Hamburger Golf Club, Germany.

The Continentals took a 2- 1 pt lead from the morning foursomes with the 14-year-old Irish twins, Leona and Lisa, the only winners in skipper Mary McKenna's four pairings. They won by one hole against France's Marion Ricordeau and Belgium's Laura Gonzalez-Escallon, winner of the British girls' open title at Monifieth last summer.

The all-Scottish pairing of Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) and Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) were beaten 5 and 3 by the French duo of Rosanna Crepiat and Lucie Andre.

England's Jodi Ewart and Rachel Jennings gained a square match against Germany's Pia Halbig and Caroline Masson but Northern Ireland's Danielle McVeigh and Wales' Rhian Wyn Thomas lost by 2 and 1 to Caroline Hedwall (Sweden) and Marieke Nivard from the Netherlands.

The Continent increased their lead by taking the singles on a 5-3 count. Curtis Cup player Jodi Ewart from Catterick lost the top singles to Pia Halbig, while Rachel Jennings was held to a square match by the Belgian teenager. Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) lost against Marion Ricordeau.

Meanwhile, Nairn Dunbar's Kelsey MacDonald, playing over her home course, beat English mid-amateur champion Lucy Williams (Mid Herts) with a birdie at the second hole of a sudden-death play-off to win the Scottish Under-21 girls' open amateur stroke-play championship yesterday.

MacDonald, an 18-year-old Stirling University student, thus became the first player since Catriona (Matthew) Lambert in 1988-1989 to win the junior title two years in a row. Playing over her home links, MacDonald fired an opening round of four-under-par 70.

But Birmingham University student Lucy, 20, started the final round leading Kelsey by one shot after a second-round 70 and it was neck-and-neck between the pair over the final 18 holes before the Scot edged the play-off.