Ireland capture Senior Home title

GOLF DIGEST:Ireland continued their amazing run of international success yesterday when they won the men's Seniors Home International series - just two months after they lifted the European seniors crown at Shannon.

This also followed their Boys International triumph at Royal County Down in August and the achievement of their men in winning both the European championship in Turin and the Home Internationals at Muirfield last month.

All that is left in a fantastic year is the world championships in Adelaide later in the month.

Requiring only a share of the spoils with England yesterday the Irish made absolutely certain of the title by winning emphatically, 6-3.

They laid the foundations for their success by winning two of the three foursomes and halving the other.

The English battled hard in the afternoon in a bid to hang onto their title and managed halves in three of the six singles after tremendous tussles.

But with Michael Coote winning easily out in the country against former Walker Cup player Geoff King and Liam McNamara moving towards victory over Philip Slater the Irish could breathe more easily as the silverware was heading across the Irish Sea.

Meanwhile, Ireland's Senior Women did not have similar success and finished with the wooden spoon in their International series at Little Aston in Birmingham.

WOMEN'S TOUR:England's Kirsty S Taylor shot a six-under-par 67 to lead by a stroke after the first round of the Madrid Ladies Masters.

The 29-year-old from Hampshire carded seven birdies and one bogey in glorious weather at Casino Club de Golf Retamares. She finished the day one ahead of Scotland's Catriona Matthew and the Spanish duo of Paula Marti and Tania Elosegui.

CHALLENGE TOUR:Robert Coles shot a flawless, eight-under-par 64 to lead after the first round of the AGF-Allianz Golf Open Grand Toulouse.

The Englishman carded six birdies and an eagle on his second-last hole to lead Scotland's George Murray by one stroke.