Sport

Leona Maguire, Olivia Mehaffey and Maria Dunne named for GB & Ireland Curtis Cup team

Leona Maguire playing at the Vagliano Trophie at Malone golf club in south Belfast. Picture by Bill Smyth. 
Leona Maguire playing at the Vagliano Trophie at Malone golf club in south Belfast. Picture by Bill Smyth.  Leona Maguire playing at the Vagliano Trophie at Malone golf club in south Belfast. Picture by Bill Smyth. 

WITH three Irish players in the team and the Curtis Cup matches being played at Dun Laoghaire, there is sure to be a huge support for the Great Britain & Ireland team that aims to wrestle the Silver Bowl Trophy back from the USA, in June.

Leona Maguire, Olivia Mehaffey and Maria Dunne were named yesterday in the eight-strong side with Maguire and Mehaffey automatic selections because of their World Ranking positions.

Duke University undergraduate Maguire, from Slieve Russell, has been World No 1 since May of last year, while Royal County Down Ladies' Club member Mehaffey has steadily climbed the ladder to No 9 over the past 12 months, with victory in the Scottish and Welsh Open Championships last year and similar success in the Irish Open this year being among her many achievements.

The team includes three players – Leona Maguire plus England's Bronte Law and Charlotte Thomas – who have previously played in the biennial transatlantic competition. The other five, including Maria Dunne, are rookies.


Skerries player Dunne is one of the Selection Panel Picks and clinched her place in the team with a third place finish in the Helen Holm Scottish Championship this month.

Alice Hewson and Bronte Law join Maguire and Mehaffey, who at 18 is joint youngest, as automatic selections because of their world status while Meghan MacLaren and Rochelle Morris qualify by way of the LGU Order of Merit. Joining Maria Dunne as the second Selection Panel Pick is English Australian domiciled Charlotte Thomas.

Aberdeen solicitor Elaine Farquharson-Black will captain the team and says: We have an , extremely talented team of players with considerable experience. I am looking forward to meeting up with the players at the Castle Golf Club (in Dublin) to prepare for the match.”

The team is: M Dunne 32 (Skerries), A Hewson 18 (Berkhamsted), B Law 21 (Bramhall), M MacLaren 21 (Wellingborough), Leona Maguire 21 (Slieve Russell), O Mehaffey 18 (RCDL), R Morris 20 (Woodsome Hall), C Thomas 23 (Moonah Links, Australia). Reserve: L Bailey 19 (Kirby Muxloe).


Captain: E Farquharson-Black (Deeside). Manager: H Dobson Hewlett.