JONES LEAD IRISH WOMEN’S SENIORS

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
Strabane’s Helen Jones, in arguably the better of the atrocious weather conditions, fired an impressive five over par 78 to lead the field by one shot after day one of the Irish Senior Women’s Open Strokeplay Championship at Lisburn Golf Club today.
Jones started strongly in the blustery conditions to turn three over par after nine and steady pars over the return journey, coupled with a birdie on the final hole, saw her cruise to a 78 and sole ownership of the overnight lead.
Diane Williams, in persistent rainfall, dropped shots over the opening stretch to turn four over par but back to back birdies on eleven and twelve saw her sign for a 79 to lie just one shot behind.
Canadian Phyllis Laschuk was next best on 81 while 2006 Champion Vicki Thomas, who has represented Wales internationally at all levels, opened with four steady pars in the worst of the morning weather and battled bravely to turn just four over par.
As conditions steadily worsened, she dropped five more strokes on the inward nine and signed for a highly creditable 82 to be well in the hunt for her second title in three years.Canada’s Ivy Steinberg birdied the second and dropped just two strokes over the final six holes to sign for an impressive 83, a score matched by country mate Keren Pultz playing later in the day.
Canadian Holly Horwood signed for a fine 84, as did Malone’s Jane Gardner, again in trying circumstances. After a slow start, Gardner recorded pars on the ninth, tenth and a birdie on eleven saw lie just five shots off overnight leader Williams.
Defending Champion Alison Murdoch (Canada) found the Irish wintry conditions truely challenging and following a triple bogey on the fourth and double on five, steadied the ship in deteriorating conditions to return 87 along with Irish Close Champion Sheena O’Brien Kenney (Grange).
Canada lead the team event by one shot from Ireland with Wales a further six shots back.
The field will play a second 18 hole strokeplay round on Wednesday and the top 40 (plus ties) will qualify for the final 18 holes on Thursday.
FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 73 CSS 77 reduction only
78 Helen Jones (Strabane)
79 Diane Williams (CAN)
81 Phyllis Laschuk (CAN)
82 Vicki Thomas (WAL)
83 Keren Pultz (CAN) Ivy Steinberg (CAN)
84 Holly Horwood (CAN) Jane Gardner (Malone)
85 Pamela Williamson (SCO)
86 Julie Morrison (Belvoir Park)
87 Mary Madden (Ballinasloe) Pauline Walsh (Headfort) Sue Pidgeon (ENG) Deborah Jamgochian (USA) Alison Murdoch (CAN) Linda Bedry (CAN) Sheena O'Brien Kenney (Grange)
88 Marleen Nijhof (BEL) Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire)
89 Cornelia Fischer (GER) Eileen MacMullen (Donegal) Jean O'Connor (WAL) Olivia Conroy (Co. Longford) Ruth Lindley (ENG) Violet McBride (Belvoir Park) Mairead MacNamara (Woodbrook) Mary Kavanagh (New Ross)
90 Angela Colm (CAN) Rhona Brennan (Bandon) Marilyn Henderson (Castlerock)
91 Carmel Cahill (Hermitage) Catherine Carty (Tullamore) Maj-Britt Laempe (SWE) Mary Geaney (Killarney) Judy Collins (CAN) Maggie Gray (USA) Pauline Bailie (Belvoir Park)
92 Helen O'Donoghue (Clonmel)
93 Margaret Boomer (Lisburn) Maureen Charleton (Lisburn) Rosemary McFadden (Whitehead) Mary McKenna (Donabate) Valerie Hassett (Ennis)
94 Kay McCartan (Greenore) Nano Brennan (Elm Park) Noreen Granard (Portarlington) Mavis Goodhall (ENG) Linda Ward (CAN) Marianne Copp (ENG) Pat Bennett (ENG) Roma English (Larne)
95 Judith Henry (Lisburn) Joan McVeigh (Belvoir Park) Keren Howard (CAN) Pamela Morgan (Lahinch) Roisin McCann (Downpatrick)
96 Mary McGoey (Greenore) Carol McBratney (Lisburn) Noreen McCluskey (Lisburn) Elaine Laing (Royal Belfast)
97 Kath Stewart-Moore (Royal Portrush)
98 Judy Clarke (Royal Portrush) Doris Brunner (SWI)
99 Ann Conway (New Ross) Anna Somers (Cill Dara) Carol Kinsella (Waterford) Maureen Bryson (Lisburn)
100 Angela Treacy (New Ross)
101 Mai McCann (Narin & Portnoo)
102 Anne Stewart (Belvoir Park) Mary Lalor (Roscommon) Sheila Bodmer O'Keefe (SWI)
103 Josephine Kilmartin (Tipperary)
105 Joceline Breccolini (SWI)
107 Hilary Bradley (Lisburn)
109 Mary Mather (Cill Dara)
112 Marie McGrattan (Ardminnan)
NR Margaret Rosbotham (Lisburn)


TEAM EVENT (2 scores from 3 to count)
164 CANADA-A Holly Horwood [84] Phylis Laschuk 81 Keren Pultz 83
165 IRELAND-A Helen Jones 78 Mary Madden 87 Sheena O'Brien Kenney [87]
171 WALES Jean O'Connor 89 Vicki Thomas 82
174 CANADA-B Linda Bedry 87 Angela Colm [90] Alison Murdock 87
178 USA Maggie Gray 91 Deborah Jamgochian 87
181 ENGLAND-A Mavis Goodhall 94 Sue Pidgeon 87
183 IRELAND-B Valerie Hassett 93 Marilyn Henderson 90 Mary McKenna [93]
183 ENGLAND-B Pat Bennett 94 Marianne Copp [94] Ruth Lindley 89
200 SWITZERLAND Jocelyn Breccolini [105] Doris Brunner 98 Sheila Bodmer O'Keefe 102

WALES TEAM, WOMEN'S HOME INTERNATIONALS 2008

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IRELAND TEAM, WOMEN'S HOME INTERNATIONALS 2008

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ENGLAND TEAM, WOMEN'S HOME INTERNATIONALS 2008

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SCOTLAND TEAM, WOMEN'S HOME INTERNATIONALS 2008

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SCOTLAND ARE HAPPY CAMPERS
AT WREXHAM FOR INTERNATIONALS

Scotland skipper Lesley Nicholson is quietly confident that her team will give a good account of themselves in the women's home internationals which start at Wrexham Golf Club, North Wales tomorrow.
"Everybody's happy and raring to go, so that's a good sign," said Lesley, a resinstated amateur whose career on the Ladies European Tour was hampered and then cut short by a hand injury.
This is the Haddington player's first time as a team captain and she will be under no illusions that England, winners of the Miller Trophy as champions for the past three years, are anything but hot favourites to make it four in a row. The long and the short of it is that for Scotland, Ireland or Wales to win the championship, they have to beat England.
Scotland lack the services of Carly Booth who is bound for the United States and the Junior Ryder Cup match on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Ireland are deprrived of the talented 13-year-old Maguire twins, Lisa and Leona, for the same reason.
And it was a blow when Curtis Cup player Sally Watson told the SLGA that she needs more time to recover from the knee ligaments operation she had on the Wednesday after the match against the Americans at St Andrews in early June. Louise Kenney from Pitreavie has stepped up from first reserve to take Sally's place.
Skipper Nicholson has left Kenney and Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) out of the opening foursomes line-up against Wales but they are both likely to see their fair share of the action before the three-day programme is over. Wednesday morning foursomes:
WALES v SCOTLAND
Wales names first
Sahra Hassan & Rhian Wyn Thomas v Kylie Walker & Kelsey MacDonald.
Breanne Loucks & Amy Boulden v Michele Thomson & Megan Briggs.
Tara Davies & Stephanie Evans v Pamela Pretswell & Laura Murray.
IRELAND v ENGLAND
Niamh Kitching & Danielle McVeigh v Elizabeth Bennett & Kerry Smith.
Gemma Hegarty & Gillian O'Leary v Naomi Edwards & Florentyna Parker.
Karen Delaney & Tara Delaney v Hannah Barwood v Rachel Jennings.

ROSEANNE DROPS DOWN TO JT
37th IN PTARMIGAN CLASSIC

Roseanne Niven dropped down from 16th to joint 36th in a field of 95 after a second-round 76 for four-over-par 148 in the Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic at Ptarmigan Country Club, Fort Collins, Colorado.
It is the Crieff player's first event of the new 2008-2009 US women's college circuit.
The Scot, a student at the University of California-Berkeley, ran up a double bogey 6 at the 10th in her second round and achieved only one birdie, at the seventh, compared with four in her first circuit.
England's Hannah Burke (Baylor University) and Natasha Podmore (San Francisco University) were in joint 18th and joint 30th positions on 145 and 147 respectively.
Hannah also had a double bogey 6 in a second-round 74 while Natasha birdied the second and fifth on her way to a 73.
One of Niven's team-mates, Shannon Yocum shares the lead on 138 with Emily Childs (Colorado University) and California-Berkeley (557) lead the team event by five shots from Colorado.
LEADING SECOND-ROUND SCORES
Par 144 (2 x 72)
138 Emily Childs (Colorado) 71 67, Shannon Yocum (California) 71 67.
139 Allison Goodman (California) 72 67, Pia Halbig (California) 69 70, Ciindy LaCrosse (Louisville) 70 69, Dominique Pytlewski (Colorado) 69 70.
Other scores:
145 Hannah Burke (Baylor) 71 74 (jt 18th).
147 Natasha Podmore (San Francisco) 74 73 (jt 30th).
148 Roseanne Niven 72 76 (jt 36th).
LEADING TEAMS
557 California. 562 Colorado. 570 Louisville. 579 San Jose State. Also: 589 San Francisco (8th of 19 teams).