Irish quartet named in Curtis Cup squad

Golf:Ireland's Stephanie Meadow, Danielle McVeigh and the Maguire twins, Lisa and Leona, have all been named in the initial Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup squad due to take on the Americans in the biennial team event next year.

The twins need little introduction in these parts as the Cavan teenagers have been at the forefront of ladies Irish golf for some years now, despite still only being 14-years of age.

The pair, who both play off plus-two handicaps out of Slieve Russell Golf Club, have already appeared against Continental Europe in the Vagliano Trophy and last month they appeared in the junior Solheim Cup in Illinois.

Lisa is the current Irish Ladies’ Close and Irish Ladies’ Open Strokeplay champion, while Leona defeated her sister in the 2008 Close final. This year she won the Scottish Ladies’ Amateur Strokeplay and the French under-21 Open championship.

Meadow, 17, resides in the United States with her parents and attends the Hank Haney International Golf Academy and is in line for a First-Team Junior All-American award after her recent runner-up finish in the American Junior Golf Association Girls Championship.

McVeigh is the oldest of the Irish quartet with the 21-year-old impressing selectors when she claimed the British Amateur Strokeplay at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club last month. The Royal County Down golfer spent two years on a scholarship in Texas and has continued her studies back in Ireland in Maynooth.

The Britain and Ireland team will be selected on Sunday, April 25th, 2010 ahead of the 36th Curtis Cup to be played Essex County Club, Massachusetts from June 11-13th, 2010.

Britain and Ireland squad: Hannah Barwood, Carly Booth, Amy Boulden, Gemma Bradbury, Holly Clyburn, Charlie Douglas, Jodi Ewart, Lucy Gould, Rachel Jennings, Louise Kenney, Leona Maguire, Lisa Maguire, Danielle McVeigh, Stephanie Meadow, Kelsey MacDonald, Pamela Pretswell, Kelly Tidy, Rhian Wyn Thomas, Kylie Walker, Sally Watson.