England retained the women’s Home Internationals title in an intensely tight finale at Royal Wimbledon Golf Club in London.
On the first day of the tournament England beat Wales 5-4, while Ireland beat Scotland 6.5-2.5. On day two Scotland beat England 6-3, while Wales and Ireland halved.
On the final day, England beat Ireland 5-4, but had to wait for the outcome of the other match, between Wales and Scotland, before they could be crowned champions.
Ireland looked even stronger after winning the morning foursomes 2-1, but England stormed out in the singles, led by Hollie Muse, who won the first hole against the Irish star, Olivia Mehaffey, and was never behind, going on to win 5&4. Sophie Lamb trailed for the first part of her match, but didn’t lose a hole after the fifth, and went on to win 3&1, while Surrey’s Inci Mehmet was three up with three to play, but was taken to the 18th by her opponent, where she played the hole with textbook precision to claim her point.
With Wales beating Scotland 5-4 in the final match, England’s victory was confirmed. Team captain Elaine Ratcliffe said: “I am very proud of the girls, it was a great result, and I am so pleased for everyone concerned. They are a very young side, but they showed what great golfers they are becoming.”
England Squad: Gemma Clews (Delamere Forest), Sammie Giles (St Mellion), Sophie Keech (Parkstone), Sophie Lamb (Clitheroe), Elaine Ratcliffe (Essendon), Inci Mehmet (Royal Mid-Surrey), Hollie Muse (West Lancashire), Sammy Fuller (Roehampton) and Bethan Popel (Long Ashton).