EUROPE LEAD UNITED STATES 7-5 IN PING JUNIOR SOLHEIM CUP

REPORT BY COLIN CALLANDER
Ping Junior Solheim Cup Press Officer
Europe opened up a slender 7-5 lead over the Americans after an engrossing opening day at the Ping Junior Solheim Cup match played over the Jack Nicklaus course at Knightsbrook Hotel Spa and Golf Resort in Trim, Co. Meath, Ireland.
However, at one point the home side’s advantage looked liked being much more substantial before the visiting side mounted an impressive comeback late in the day.
Lotta Neumann’s European side got off to the best possible start when they defeated the visiting Americans 5-1 in the morning foursomes but the Americans bounced back with a gutsy 4-2 victory in the four-balls to set up an engrossing finale in the morning.
Heading into the final day, Europe requires 5 ½ points from the remaining 12 singles to avenge the American victory in the last Ping Junior Solheim Cup match played at Aurora Golf Club, Illinois, two years ago and also to level the series score at 3-3 since the contest was inaugurated at Oak Ridge, Minnesota, back in 2002.
The Americans need seven points to retain the trophy and to break the sequence which, to date, has seen the home side win the trophy on each occasion the match has been played.
The Europeans were looking for a fast start in front of the large crowds assembled at Knightsbrook and that is exactly what their got on a day when fine spells of weather were interrupted by the occasional blustery shower.
English duo, Charley Hull and Lauren Taylor, lost the top foursome by 2 and 1 to Mariah Stackhouse and Jaye Marie Green but Welsh girl Amy Boulden and her Swedish partner, Emma Nilsson, levelled the score before the 16 year-old Irish twins, Lisa and Leona Maguire, put the home side in front for the first time with a closely-fought one hole victory over Emma Talley and McKenzie Talbert.
Thereafter, the home side really came into its own. The impressive French duo, Manon Gidali and Celine Boutier, defeated US pair, Esther Lee and Gabriella Then by one hole in a match in which both sides shared eight birdies. Spaniard, Luna Sabron and another French girl, Emilie Alonso, also won on the 18th, against Lindsey Weaver and Ashlan Ramsay before German Girls’ champion, Antonia Scherer, and her Belgian partner, Margaux Vanmol, recent winner at Gullane of the British girls' open championship, rounded the morning off with a comprehensive 4 and 3 victory over Karen Chung and Alison Lee.
The afternoon four-balls provided an altogether different storyline and one that sets up an intriguing climax to the competition.
Leona Maguire and Lauren Taylor briefly gave Europe a five-point advantage when they defeated Kyung Kim and Karen Chung by 3 and 2. Amy Boulden and Emma Nilsson, plus Manon Gidali and Celine Boutier, also provided half points for the home side but elsewhere the scoreboard turned into a sea of red figures as Lindsey Weaver and Mariah Stackhouse, McKenzie Talbert and Summar Roachell, and Gabriella Then and Emma Talley all produced valuable US victories to reduce the overnight deficit to just two points.
“We were disappointed to lose five matches this morning but delighted with our fight back this afternoon,” said the US captain, Meg Mallon.
“It’s been a great day’s golf and sets things up nicely for tomorrow.
“Overall, we’re happy to be going into the second day with a two point lead,” said Europe’s captain, Lotta Neumann.
“The girls are a bit disappointed with this afternoon’s performance but I would quite happily have taken a two point lead at the start of the day.
“It’s a great platform to build on going into the singles.”

FIRST DAY RESULTS
FOURSOMES
EUROPE 5, UNITED STATES 1
(Europe names first)
Lauren Taylor and Charley Hull lost to Mariah Stackhouse and Jaye Marie Green 2 and 1
Lisa Maguire and Leona Maguire bt Emma Talley and McKenzie Talbert 1 hole
Amy Boulden and Emma Nilsson bt Kyung Kim and Summar Roachell 4 and 3
Manon Gidali and Celine Boutier bt Esther Lee and Gabriella Then 1 hole
Emilie Alonso and Luna Sobron bt Lindsey Weaver and Ashlan Ramsay 2 holes
Antonia Scherer and Margaux Vanmol bt Karen Chung and Alison Lee 4 and 3

FOUR-BALLS
EUROPE 2, UNITED STATES 4Lisa Maguire and Charley Hull lost to Lindsey Weaver and Mariah Stackhouse 1 hole
Amy Boulden and Emma Nilsson halved with Jaye Maria Green and Ashlan Ramsay
Leona Maguire and Lauren Taylor bt Kyung Kim and Karen Chung 3 and 2
Emilie Alonso and Antonia Scherer lost to McKenzie Talbert and Summar Roachell 2 and 1
Manon Gidali and Celine Boutier halved with Alison Lee and Esther Lee
Margaux Vanmol and Luna Sabron lost to Gabriella Then and Emma Talley 3 amd 1
SCORE AT END OF FIRST DAY
EUROPEAN 7, UNITED STATES 5


SECOND-DAY SINGLES LINE-UP

08.00 Emma Nilsson v Jaye Marie Green
08.11 Leona Maguire v Mariah Stackhouse
08.22 Lauren Taylor v Gabriella Then
08.33 Amy Boulden v Emma Talley
08.44 Manon Gidali v Ashlan Ramsey
08.55 Luna Sobron v Summar Roachell
09 06 Lisa Maguire v Alison Lee
09.17 Antonia Scherer v McKenzie Talbert
09.28 Margaux Vanmol v Kyung Kim
09.39 Emilie Alonso v Esther Lee
09.50 Charley Hull v Lindsey Weaver
10.01 Celine Boutier v Karen Chung

GRANT FORREST'S GREAT START WITH SAN DIEGO UNIVERSITY

 
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Grant Forrest, last year's Scottish boys' match-play champion and Craigielaw GC member, has made an excellent start for San Diego University, California on the US college circuit.

Freshman Grant (pictured by Andy Forman) followed up a joint ninth finish on his debut in the Colorado Invite on September 12-13 by sharing fifth place in a field of 100 at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invite at the US Air Force Academy's Eisenhower Blue Course (par 72, 7,370yd), Colorado Springs in Colorado at the weekend.

In a quality competition - the leading dozen or so competitors were all under par, despite the length of the course - Forrest shot five-under-par 211 with scores of 73, 69 and 69. He was the leading San Diego University player, only two shots behind the joint winners, Kevin Penner (UNLV) (74-67-68) and T J Carpenter (Ball State) (71-67-71), on seven-under 209.

 San Diego (872) finished joint eighth of 19 in the team event won by UNLV after a play-off with Colorado who also totalled 844.

  

HENDERSON GAINS TOP 10 PLACE IN MARYLAND

Neil Henderson from North Berwick, a student at Old Dominion University, tied for eighth place with a three-under-par total of 210 in the Maryland Intercollegiate at River Marsh Golf Club, Cambridge in Maryland.

Over a 6,801yd, par-71 course, Neil had good scores of 71, 69 and 70 and finished four shots behind four players who tied for victory on 206 - Brian Dorfman (Georgetown) (67-71-68), Damon Postal (Winthrop) (72-63-71), Max Maisico (Pennsylvania) (69-69-68) and Taylor Dickson (Winthrop) (66-65-75).

Tom Wilde from Berkshire, another Old Dominion University student, finished joint 19th on 214 with scores of 70, 71 and 73. 

A third Old Dominion player, Garth McGee from Ireland, finished joint 49th on 222 with scores of 73, 74 and 75.

Old Dominion (850) finished fourth of 13 in the team event won by Winthrop University (829) ahead of Pennsylvania (840) and Georgetown (844).

ABBEY TIES FOR FIFTH PLACE IN YALE FALL INTERCOLLEGIATE

Abbey Gittings from Tamworth, Staffordshire, a student at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale in Florida, finished joint fifth in a field of 78 players at the Yale Women's Fall Intercollegiate.

Over the par-72, 6000yd Yale University golf course a New Haven, Connecticut, Abbey had rounds of 77, 70 and 76 for a total of five-over-par 223. She finished five shots behind the joint winners, Se Hee Moon (Yale) (69-74-75) and Tiffany Lim (Harvard) (70-74-74), on 218.
Harvard (894) won the team event ahead of Longwood (910) and Nova SE (913) in a field of 15 teams.


TIFFANY FOURTH AT MOON VALLEY CC, ARIZONA

Tiffany Hewetson (Grand Canyon University, Arizona) finished fourth of 32 in the Arizona Christian Fall Kick-off tournament at Moon Valley Country Club, Phoeniz.

Tiffany had scores of 73 and 81 for a total of 154 over the par-72, 6004yd course.

She finished seven shots behind the winner, team-mate Chorpaka Jaengkit, who scored 76 and 71 for 147 for a one-stroke victory from Ashlynn Hall (Mesa Community College) (70-78).

Grand Canyon (611) won the team title from Mesa CC (6723), Biola Univ (802) and Arizona Christian (721).


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