THE scene is set for a battle between Leinster and Munster on Day 3 of the Ladies Interprovincials at the Royal Belfast golf course.

THE Munster finals of the Irish Mixed Foursomes get under way at Monkstown on Saturday, with Nenagh facing Newcastle West in the first of the semi-finals at 9am.

There are no newcomers on the Munster Ladies golf team seeking to regain the Ladies Interprovincial title at Royal Belfast Golf Club this week.

CARLOW’S Tara Delaney successfully defended her Irish Open Strokeplay title with a birdie on the 54th hole at Hermitage Golf Club yesterday.

Curtis Cup star Claire Coughlan (Cork) bowed out of the Lancome Ladies Close at Portsalon yesterday following a 2/1 defeat by the in-form Karen Delaney (Carlow).

CLAIRE COUGHLAN, the heroine of Ireland’s magnificent victory in the Home International Championship at Cruden Bay last month, is a shock omission from the Curtis Cup elite squad announced yesterday.

BOTH the Irish mens and ladies senior golf teams show changes from the original selections for the Home International series at Ballybunion and Cruden Bay respectively.

ON a day when overseas players dominated at Shannon, Sophie Walker from Lincolnshire is poised to add the European Ladies Amateur Strokeplay title to the English Championship won recently.

CORK’S Claire Coughlan overcame a disappointing start to the second round of the European Amateur Ladies Individual Championship at Shannon yesterday to post a one under par 72 and get herself back into contention in the title race.

IRELAND has not had a Ladies British Open Amateur Golf Champion for 18 years since Lilian Behan triumphed at Ganton — and they will have to wait at least another 12 months before ending that long drought after all three of their qualifiers were knocked out at Lindrick, Yorkshire, yesterday.

IRELAND’S hopes of winning the Ladies’ Amateur Home International golf championship for the first time for 16 years were dealt a blow yesterday when they yielded a foursomes advantage to go down 5-4 to Wales.

The Irish Ladies' Golf Union (ILGU) and Lancôme have attracted the cream of ladies golf to compete in two major competitions in the ladies' golf calendar in Galway next week.

Seve Ballesteros spoke in glowing terms about Ireland and the Irish people at the PGA Irish Region Centenary Banquet in the Burlington Hotel.