Golf: Atkins hopes home comfort will prove diet for success

Lesley ATKINS was today set to line up for Scotland in the Girls' Home Internationals at her home course of Gullane, hoping local knowledge will help the side go one better than last year.

The internationals take place over Gullane No.2 - the British Girls' Championship switches to Gullane No.1 next week - and Scotland were set to open today against Ireland.

Atkins, a Gullane member, won last year's Scottish Girls' Championship and is joined in the side by another young East Lothian star, Clara Young, from North Berwick.

Clara played for GB and Ireland's Under-16 team in the Vagliano Trophy and is making her debut in the Home International team. Leading the team is Eilidh Briggs, the 18-year-old from Kilmacolm has had an outstanding season. She won the Scottish Girls' Championship and finished runner-up in this season's Scottish Amateur Championship and will be following in Catriona Matthew's footsteps this autumn when she takes up a golf scholarship at Stirling University.

Briggs and Atkins are among the five who have retained their places from the side that finished second to England at Bangor in Northern Ireland last year. The others are Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie) and Hannah McCook (Grantown-On-Spey).

Baberton's Karen Marshall captains the home team for the second year, and the side meet defending champions, England, tomorrow and then conclude against Wales on Friday.