Scotland captain Pamela Williamson holds the Sue Johnson Trophy, won by Scotland for the first time. - Click to enlarge (Image Courtesy of the LGU)
Back row (left to right): Noreen Fenton (Dunbar), Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose), Fiona Hunter (Baberton), Moira Thomson (Gullane Ladies), Fiona De Vries (St Rule), team manager Janet Wake.
Front row (l to r): Mary Smith (Tain), Pamela Williamson (Baberton), Heather Anderson (Alyth)
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This is the LGU ReportScotland made no mistake on the final day of the Senior Ladies' Home International Matches at Newport Golf Club, Wales.
Having first beaten Ireland and then England, the Scots won the title and the Sue Johnson Trophy for the first time, completing a 100 per cent winning record through the three days by beating last year’s winners, Wales, 5 ½-2 ½ today.
England, trailing 2-1 after the foursomes, rallied to draw 4-4 with Ireland and finished with 1 1/2pt, to be runners-up ahead of Wales (1pt) and Ireland (1/2pt).
Skipper Pam Williamson’s Scotland team showed no last-day nerves as they captured the morning foursomes by 2 ½ to ½ against Wales to make their task in the five afternoon singles that much easier.
They began the afternoon play needing only 1 ½ pt for a draw which would have been enough to clinch the over-50s team championship but instead the Scots had three singles winners in Heather Anderson, who beat the Senior British champion Vicki Thomas by one hole, Fiona De Vries, who beat Pamela Valentine by 5 and 3, ending the series with a perfect 6points from six matches, and Mary Smith who beat Jane Rees by 4 and 3 for her fifth point in six outings.
Anderson v Thomas was a game of two halves – the Scot had the better of the first nine, the Welsh player not losing a hole after the turn. Anderson birdied the second and the fifth on her way to a three-hole lead after eight holes.
That was as good as it got for the Scot. Thomas won the 11th and 15th to be only one down on the 16th tee. But Smith managed to halve the last three holes for a win she will remember.
Kathleen Sutherland, who came into the Scotland team only last week when star player Lorna Bennett had to withdraw for domestic reasons, lost her 100 per cent winning record when she lost by 4 and 2 to Ann Lewis.
Lewis birdied the seventh to go one up and also won the eighth before Sutherland birdied the ninth to get back to one down. The Welsh player promptly birdied the 10th to regain a two-hole lead which Sutherland cut back to one hole by winning the 11th.
The exchange of holes continued at the 12th which Lewis won to regain a two-hole lead. Lewis wrapped up a 4 and 2 victory by winning the 15th and 16th.
Fiona De Vries won the second, third and fourth against Valentine and stretched her lead to six holes after 11, having birdied the 10th. Valentine did birdie the 14th but that only cut her deficit to four holes and Fiona clinched her sixth victory in three days by winning the 15th for a 5 and 3 success.
That raised Scotland ’s points on the day to 4 ½, which meant they had won the match, whatever the outcome of the ties still to finish.
Mary Smith made it 5 1/2pt in the bag when she beat Jane Rees by 4 and 3. After the third and fourth holes were exchanged, Smith won the sixth to take a lead she did not relinquish.
The Scot won the eighth to go two up, lost the ninth but then won the 11th, 13th and 14th to surge four holes to the good. A half at the next ended the contest.
Wales got their second singles win, thanks to Jean O’Connor, who beat Moira Thomson by 5 and 4. O’Connor took a stranglehold on the outcome by winning the first, third, seventh, eighth and 10th for a five-hole lead. She even birdied the 12th to regain that advantage after the Scot had scored her only success at the 11th. Halves at the 13th and 14th ended the match.
Results:
SCOTLAND 5 1/2, WALES 2 1/2
Foursomes: H Anderson & F Hunter halved with V Thomas & J O'Connor; M Smith & M Thomson bt J Doleman & J Rees 3 and 2; F De Vries & N Fenton bt A Lewis & D Richards 4 and 2 (2 ½- ½).
Singles: Anderson bt Thomas 1 hole, K Sutherland lost to Lewis 4 and 2, De Vries bt P Valentine 4 and 3, Smith bt Rees 4 and 3, Thomson lost to O'Connor 5 and 4 (3-2)
IRELAND 4, ENGLAND 4
Foursomes; R Brennan & V McBride lost to C Quinn & S Dye 2 and 1; H Jones & P Doran bt J Ashmore & J Melville 3 and 1; S McElroy & P O'Gorman bt R Adams & P Parker 1 hole (2-1).
Singles: M Henderson lost to Melville 5 and 4, Doran lost to Dye 3 and 1, McElroy bt Ashmore 5 and 4, Jones bt Parker 6 and 5, McBride lost to Newton 5 and 4 (2-3).
HOW THEY FINISHED
Scotland 3 wins (3pt).
England 1 win, 1 draw (1 1/2pt).
Wales 1 win (1pt).
Ireland 1 draw (1/2pt).
INDIVIDUAL SCOTS' RECORDS AT NEWPORT
Fiona De Vries (St Rule) 6pt out of 6 (six wins).
Mary Smith (Tain) 5pt out of 6 (five wins).
Moira Thomson (Gullane Ladies) 3 1/2pt out of 6 (three wins and a halved match).
Noreen Fenton (Dunbar) 3pt out of 3 (three foursomes wins).
Heather Anderson (Alyth) 2pt out of 6 (one win, two halves).
Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose) 2pt out of 3 (played singles only: two wins).
Fiona Hunter (Baberton) 1/2pt out of 3 (one halved match
Anna Telfer - Milngavie Greenlees Team Captain has a lot to smile about -- Click to enlarge
