Curtis Cup race and Hermitage the focus for top women
Lisburn's Paula Grant can seal her Curtis Cup place with a solid performance in Wales this weekend. Picture: Pat Cashman cashmanphotography.ie
Curtis Cup hopefuls Paula Grant, Chloe Ryan and Olivia Mehaffey will be gunning for victory in the Welsh Ladies Open Stroke Play Championship this week as the race to make the team for St Louis comes to a head at Prestatyn.
With Stephanie Meadow heading the four automatic qualifiers from the World Rankings ahead of Georgia Hall, Annabel Dimmock and Bronte Law, the other four places in the Curtis Cup side will be decided on the basis of what happens in Wales. (Welsh Ladies Open tee-times)
Under the new Curtis Cup selection rules the top four from the world rankings will be joined by the top two from LGU Order of Merit not already selected from WAGR.
Right now it's England's Gabriella Cowley and Lisburn star Grant who must defend those places in Wales with Ryan and Mehaffey in the shake up for two selectors' picks for the side to face the US in Missouri from June 6-8.
Mary Doyle, Emma O'Driscoll, Amy Farrell and Niamh McSherry complete the Irish challenge in Wales as the rest of Ireland's top players compete in the 43rd staging of the 36-hole Hermitage Scratch Cup on Sunday.
HERMITAGE 36 HOLE SCRATCH CUP - SUNDAY 4th MAY
1st Tee (08.00) & 10th Tee (12.50)
- 08.00 Sara Byrne (Douglas) Bernie Cox (Carlow) Caroline Hewitt (Courtown)
- 08.10 Susan Dickson (Sutton) Deirdre Malone (Beech Park) Madelaine Brennan (Carlow)
- 08.20 Rosemary Hayes (Hermitage) Sarah Molloy (Kilkenny) Ruth Maguire (Corrstown)
- 08.30 Ellie Metcalfe (Laytown & Bettystown) Mai Tan (Dun Laoghaire) Roisin Brady (Co. Louth)
- 08.40 Ailish Thompson (Cork) Lee Murphy O'Connor (Woodbrook) Niamh Prendeville (Hermitage)
- 08.50 Lily Owens (Malahide) Jennifer Hickey (Doneraile) Aisling Brennan (Hermitage)
- 09.00 Caitriona Griffin (Killarney) Victoria Craig (Royal Belfast) Ciara Casey (Hermitage)
- 09.10 Mary Leahy Browne (Kilkenny) Pat Doran (Donabate) Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire)
- 09.20 Sophie Harrison (Killeen Castle) Chloe Weir (Shandon Park) Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge)
- 09.30 Helen Jones (Royal Portrush) Gertie McMullen (The Island) Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor)
- 09.40 Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little) Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) Jean O'Driscoll (Muskerry)
- 09.50 Louise Coffey (Malone) Karen Delaney (Carlow) Karen O'Neill (Douglas)
10th (08.00) & 1st Tee (12.50)
- 08.00 Valerie Cotter (Powerscourt) Clodagh Walsh (Castlewarden) Eithne Knight (The Island)
- 08.10 Karen Palmer (K Club) Suzie Hayes (Hermitage) Sara Browne (Kilkenny)
- 08.20 Sheena McWilliams (Bangor) Carmel Cahill (Hermitage) Sandra McCaffrey (Lucan)
- 08.30 Rachel Thompson (Cork) Aoife Ni Thuama (Monkstown) Nicole McGavisk (Donabate)
- 08.40 Joanne Black (Knock) Ruth Keating (Castle) Roisin Collins (Blackbush)
- 08.50 Orla Barry (Galway) Meadhbh Doyle (Portarlington) Lynda Maher (Doneraile)
- 09.00 Clodagh Jones (Roascrea) Rachel McDonnell (Elm Park) Mary Duane (Hermitage)
- 09.10 Shannen Brown (The Heath) Nicola Coffey (Woodbrook) Annabel Wilson (Lurgan)
- 09.20 Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe) Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel) Kate Whyte (Lucan)
- 09.30 Orla Dunphy (Kilkenny) Rachel Taylor (Laytown & Bettystown) Aoife Lowry (Tipperary)
- 09.40 Mary Dowling (New Ross) Aedin Murphy (Carlow) Niamh Ward (Lurgan)
- 09.50 Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) Jessica Ross (Donaghadee)
