Irish women's seniors on double trail

Amateur News: Ireland will be looking to make full use of the home advantage when the Women's Seniors Home International gets under way at Kilkeel Golf Club today. And after the success of Sheena O'Brien Kenney's Elite squad at Porthcawl last month the seniors will be hoping to make it a double for the women amateurs. Shay Keenan reports

Pauline Martin of Woodbrook captains the team that finished second to England in the inaugural match last year having beaten Scotland and Wales but lost to England on the final day.

England are favourites to retain the crown and open their defence against Ireland this morning.

The Irish team shows one change from that originally selected with Mary Madden coming in for the injured Mary McKenna, who is still suffering from an ongoing foot problem.

The Irish team includes three new caps in Rhona Fanagan (Milltown), Jane Allen (Royal Portrush) and Maura Breathnach (Monkstown), and three who played last year, Valerie Hassett (Ennis), Roma English (Larne) and Madden (Ballinasloe).

The English team will be captained for the second time by Bridget Jackson who was honoured with an MBE for her outstanding contribution to women's golf last year.

Members of the team include Chris Quinn, who won the Senior Women's English Close Amateur Championship last week at Trevose Golf Club, and several former Curtis Cup players. The English line-up is: Elizabeth Boatman, Carole Caldwell, Quinn, Vivien Saunders, Christine Stirling and Christine Watson.

Meanwhile, as the seniors can look back on excellent careers, junior Alison Walshe, whose parents emigrated from Galway some years ago and who qualifies to play for Ireland, is already making a name for herself on the US Collegiate circuit.

Walshe, the 2004 Big East Individual Golf Champion, has join the Tulane University women's golf squad for the 2004-05 season.

A native of Westford, Massachusetts, Walshe starred as a freshman last season at Boston College where she led the team with a 75.74 stroke-per-round average. She will be at Tulane for the next three years and can participate for the Green Wave team right away.

"Alison Walshe is a tremendously talented golfer, and we're obviously happy to have her," said head coach Sue Bower. "Winning a conference title is a huge accomplishment, and for her to do that as a freshman speaks volumes of her ability. She will be joining a talented team, and I think this puts us in a good position to defend the Conference USA crown."

Walshe finished in the top 10 in all 10 tournaments she participated in, including individual wins at the Rutgers Invitational, Hartford Invitational and the Big East Championship last year.

She shot par-or-better five times, including a career-best 69 in the opening round of the Rutgers Invitational, where the Eagles won the team title.

Prior to enrolling at Boston College, Walshe twice earned Boston Globe Player of the Year and Boston Herald All-Star honours as a junior at Westford Academy. She won the 2003 Massachusetts High School State Championship with an even-par 72, won another two tournaments, and was the 2003 Massachusetts State Junior Amateur Champion.

In addition to golf, Basketball Ireland might also have a interest in the Tulane student.

Walshe earned varsity letters in basketball. As a senior she was named team captain and MVP, and earned Dual County League and Lowell Sun All-Star honours while leading the squad to the 2003 league championship.

In her first golf tournament for her new university Walshe and Mary Ellen Jacobs shot one-over par 73s and the Green Wave fired a team 298 for the second consecutive day as the Tulane University team won its season-opener at the University of Alabama-Ann Rhoads Intercollegiate at the par-72, 5,924-yard Ol' Colony Golf Complex.

Walshe, Jacobs, junior Liliana Alvarez and senior Lindsay Hulwick all posted top-10 finishes to help the Green Wave hold off a late surge by eventual runners-up, Mississippi State.

Tulane won the tournament by nine strokes with a 20-over par 596 (298-298), followed by MSU (309-296=605) and host Alabama (316-299=615).

England regained the Men's Seniors home internationals title at Aberdovey, Wales, last week when they overcame Wales 5-4 in the deciding match after beating Scotland and Ireland in earlier matches.

It meant England took full points to claim the title they lost a year ago at Seaton Carew. Scotland beat Ireland 5-4 to leave the Irish with the wooden spoon just a year after they finished joint winners with Wales.