Scotland scored their first win for at least two years in the Senior Ladies Home Internationals at Alyth Golf Club, Perthshire today, beating Wales 5-3 in their first match after losing all three 12 months ago.
The Scots took a 2-1 edge from the morning foursomes and added three more points with wins by Gillian Kyle (2 and 1 over Denise Richards), Lesley Lloyd (2 and 1 against Olwen Davies) and Fiona De Vries (2 and 1 against Sharon Roberts).
Wales' two winners in the singles were Jane Rees, who beat Sheena Wood 3 and 2 n the lead-off tie, and former Senior British champion Ann Lewis, a 3 and 2 winner over Lorna McKinlay.
All square at the turn, Rees went two up on Wood by winning the 10th and 13th. The Scot won the 14th to be only one down but Rees took the 15th and 16th for the match.
Kyle was one up at the turn against Richards and went up at the 12th. Richards rallied to win the 13th to be only one down but halves at the 14th and 15th gave Kyle some breathing space and the Scot won the 16th and halved the 17th for a 2 and 1 win, her second of the day.
McKinlay was two up after nine against Lewis but the Welsh player went to town on the inward half, winning the 11th and 12th to square the contest and then taking the 13th, 14th and 16th for a 3 and 2 victory.
Lloyd won the sixth, 10th and 12th for a two-hole lead over Davies. The Scot then won the 14th to be three up. Davies won the 15th to be two down with three to play but she ran out of holes as Lloyd won on the 17th green.
Roberts won the ninth and 10th to square her match against De Vries. The next three holes were halved before De Vries edged ahead again by winning the 14th.
The 15th was halved. Then De Vries won the 16th to be dormie and she won by 2 and 1 to clinch Scotland's 5-3 victory.
European senior champions Ireland came a cropper in their bid to take the home title out of England's grasp. England won 5.5-2.5, taking the foursomes by a 2pt margin and the singles 3-1.
Scotland, who lost all three matches 12 months ago, beat Wales 5-3 on a day that started wet but turned bright and very breezy by lunchtime.
England's singles winners were Julie Brown (by 4 and 3 against Mary Sheehy), Katherine Russell (by 2 and 1 over Maria O'Reilly) and Jackie Foster (by 5 and 4 against Irish senior champion Gertie McMullen).
Wickham set the ball rolling for England in the afternoon with a flying start which saw her win four of the first seven holes, losing only the sixth, and then the 11th to see her lead cut to two holes by Catherine Rawthore.
Holes 12 to 17 were halved, leaving Wickham the winner.
Last year's Senior British champion Julie Brown lost the third to Mary Sheehy but then won four in a row for a three-hole lead. Sheehy won the eighth and ninth to be only one down at the turn. Brown won the 12th, 13th and 15th for victory.
The Russell v O'Reilly was the last match to finish. The English player was two up at the turn after winning the eighth and ninth, then the 11th for a three-hole lead. O'Reilly hit back with wins at the 12th and 13th. Three halves holes followed before Russell clinched a 2 and 1 win by taking the 17th.
New Senior British champion Laura Webb was in impressive form against Karen Jobling. The Berkshire-based Iris player lost the second hole but won the next five to be four up at the turn. Webb added the 10th to her collection for a five-hole lead.
Jobling stopped the rot by winning the 11th and 12th but there was no holding Webb in this form. She won the 13th and 14th for the match.
Ireland's Gertie McMullen does not lose many matches by 5 and 4 but she did this afternoon with Jackie Foster her conqueror.
There was no hint of the eventual margin of victory when Foster turned with a one-hole lead but the English player slipped up a gear to take the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th for victory.
SINGLES RESULTS
SCOTLAND 3, WALES 2
Wood lost to Rees 3 and 2.
Kyle bt Richards 2 and 1.
L McKinlay lost to Lewis 3 and 2.
Lloyd bt O Davies 2 and 1.
De Vries bt Roberts 2 and 1.
MATCH RESULT
SCOTLAND 5, WALES 3
ENGLAND 3, IRELAND 2
Rawthore lost to Wickham 2 and 1
Brown bt M Sheehy 4 and 3.
K Russell bt O'Reilly 2 and 1.
Jobling lost to Webb 5 and 4.
Foster bt McMullen 5 and 4.
MATCH RESULT
ENGLAND 5.5, IRELAND 2.5.
Ladies Golf News in Scotland, the West of Scotland and Renfrewshire
