Golf: Eilidh Briggs sparkles, but Scots toil

Published on Wednesday 3 August 2011 17:27

EILIDH Briggs scored an impressive singles victory over Irish Girls' Champion Paula Grant, but it was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing opening-day defeat for Scotland at the Girls' Home Internationals at Gullane yesterday.

Ireland beat the home side 6-3 while England, winners for the past three years, lost the singles 2-4 and had to settle for a draw against Wales.

Having lost two of the three morning foursomes over the No 2 course, Scotland needed a fast start to the afternoon singles and Briggs, the Scottish Girls' Champion from Kilmacolm, provided the perfect lead with a 5 and 4 win over Grant.

Gemma Dryburgh then added another point, beating Jessica Carty by the same comfortable margin in the second match.

However, the slide began when Alyson McKechin, three up after six holes and a winner in the morning foursomes, lost five out of seven holes from the ninth and went down by 2 and 1 to Ariana Coyle-Diez.

Lauren Whyte and Ailsa Summers both lost tight matches on the final green, while Lesley Atkins, a Gullane member and the 2010 Scottish Girls' Champion, was beaten 4 and 3 by Jean O'Driscoll.

England won the foursomes 2.5-1.5, but suffered a real shock in the singles when Wales won the top three matches before Alex Peters and Georgia Hall hit back for the defending champions.

The result hinged on the last match on the course and Jessica Evans held on to beat last year's English Girls' Champion, Georgia Hall, by one hole.

Scotland meet England today and Karen Marshall's team must win to have a chance of claiming the Stroyan Cup for the first time in four years.