Ireland bounced back from their European Amateur Team Championship quarter-final defeat to Italy with an impressive 3½-1½ win against Spain over France’s challenging Chantilly course.

Ireland suffered an agonising tie with England as they opened the defence of their Amateur Home International series at Royal Portrush yesterday.

Open Championship hero Paul Dunne will attract much of the attention at Royal Portrush in two weeks as Ireland bid to defend their Home Internationals title on home soil.

Whatever about her Olympic hopes, Leona Maguire is certain to be an inspiration for Ireland in the European Ladies Team Championships at Helsingor Golf Club in Denmark today.

Irish teenager Niamh McSherry finished a highly-creditable fifth in the girls event at the European Young Masters in Hamburg.

Two double bogeys in the first three holes prevented teenage sensation Olivia Mehaffey from being among the leaders after the first round of the European Ladies Amateur Championship in Estonia yesterday.

Julie McCarthy produced a sensational homeward half performance in her second round at the Scottish Girls U16 Championship at Strathmore yesterday to storm to the title and fire an early- season warning to her rivals.

There is one word of warning Ada O’Sullivan will offer to whoever succeeds her as the ILGU’s first High Performance director when her four-year term ends next January: your golf game will suffer.

Leinster champions Enniscorthy Golf Club won the Irish Mixed Foursomes title for the first time in its history at Clandeboye Golf Club today.