Women who have made a “significant contribution” to golf will be first in line to join the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, if the club votes in favour of women members.

Australian Rebecca Artis recorded her first title on the Ladies European Tour with a one-shot victory over home favourite Caroline Hedwall at the Helsingborg Open in Sweden.

The record books will show that Ernie Els won the Open Championship the last time it was staged at Muirfield in 2002, beating Thomas Levet in sudden death after an initial four-man, four-hole play-off also involving Steve Elkington and Stuart Appleby.

Scotland’s Catriona Matthew held off a dramatic back nine charge from defending champion Suzann Pettersen to clinch a one-stroke victory in the Ladies Irish Open at Killeen Castle.

LESS than a decade ago, European women were among the top golfers in the world, with the likes of Annika Sorenstam and Laura Davies regularly vying for the top spot and racking up victories at the majors.

ALISON NICHOLAS would love to see the Solheim Cup return to Ireland – but she won’t even be captain when Europe look to win on American soil for the first time in Colorado two years from now.

VICTORIOUS European Solheim Cup captain Alison Nicholas was crowned the queen of Killeen Castle and the emotions flowed as freely as the rain and the champagne in County Meath yesterday evening.

Europe won the Solheim Cup for the first time in four renewals after a dramatic finish to the final day’s singles.

Europe and the United States will go into the final day of the 12th Solheim Cup all square following a fightback by the Americans in today’s afternoon session.

BLUE was the colour for Europe at Killeen Castle yesterday — and pacesetter Suzann Pettersen saw more than enough to fuel her belief that the home team can win the Solheim Cup for the first time in four attempts.

Europe built a one-point lead over the United States on the first day of the 12th Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Ireland.

Melissa Reid has backed Europe’s Solheim Cup team to spring a surprise and beat their American counterparts in this weekend’s Transatlantic battle.

Melissa Reid has backed Europe’s Solheim Cup team to spring a surprise and beat their American counterparts in this weekend’s Transatlantic battle.

ENGLAND’S Laura Davies sought a football analogy to describe Europe’s challenge against the USA in this week’s Solheim Cup.

THE greatest week in the history of Irish ladies’ golf has arrived with the 12th Solheim Cup clash of the United States and Europe set for the Jack Nicklaus-designed Killeen Castle near Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, on Friday.

NEXT month, many of the world’s finest lady golfers assemble at Killeen Castle for the 12th Solheim Cup.

LADIES Irish Open boss Roddy Carr avoided some Chinese torture to deliver a world class field at Killeen Castle next month.

THE HONOURS keep coming for Graeme McDowell.

The second round of the Open de Espana Femenino has been postponed until tomorrow because of persistent thunderstorms at Flamingos Golf in Benahavis on the Costa del Sol today.

ENGLAND’S Laura Davies fired a closing 70 to win the UNIQA Ladies Golf Open in Fohrenwald-Wiener Neustadt, Austria, yesterday afternoon for her 75th career victory.

England’s Laura Davies fired a closing 70 to win the UNIQA Ladies Golf Open in Fohrenwald-Wiener Neustadt, Austria, this afternoon for her 75th career victory.

Michelle Wie secured her second career LPGA title as she held her nerve to shoot a two-under-par 70 and win the CN Canadian Women's Open by three shots.

Scotland’s Kylie Walker shot 64 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Finnair Masters in Helsinki.

ADMISSION is free, the quality of the field could hardly be better, the location is both new and spectacular.

THE AIB Ladies Irish Open gets underway on Friday at Killeen Castle, Co Meath, having attracted its strongest field ever.

Ireland's Hazel Kavanagh opened with a four-under-par 68 at the ABN AMRO Ladies Open in Holland today to lead a Ladies European Tour event outright for the first time in her career.

BETH DANIEL and Meg Mallon fired the USA into a two-shot lead at the European Nations Cup in Spain yesterday.

Annika Sorenstam brought the curtain down on her 15-year career today by finishing in a five-way tie for seventh place at the Dubai Ladies Masters.

Germany’s Anja Monke captured her maiden Ladies European Tour title with victory in the Vediorbis Open de France at Le Golf D’Arras.

Former European number one Laura Davies carded a seven-under-par 65 to lift herself into a share of third in the Vediorbis Open de France.

England’s Laura Davies birdied five or her last seven holes to grab a share of the third round lead at the Uniqa Women’s Open in Austria.

Two weeks after Greg Norman threatened to become the oldest major winner ever American Juli Inkster today set up the chance to do the same in the women’s game.

World number one Lorena Ochoa begins her final warm-up for the second major of the women’s season at the Ginn Tribute tomorrow in Charleston, South Carolina.

Rebecca Coakley carded a course record-equalling nine-under-par 63 to claim a four-shot lead at the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open at Golf Gerre Losone.

Rookie Yani Tseng, from Taiwan, shot a fantastic eight-under-par 64 to soar into the lead at the halfway stage of the Ginn Open at the Reunion Resort in Orlando, Florida.

England’s Karen Stupples produced a late birdie spree to move into the top five at the Safeway International in Phoenix, Arizona, with a five-under-par 67.

England’s Laura Davies, who won the title a record four times in a row in the mid-1990s, launches her American season at the Safeway International in Phoenix. Arizona.

England’s Laura Davies remains bang in contention to end her year with a 69th career win at the Dubai Ladies’ Masters at the Emirates Club despite enduring a horror hole today.

England’s Lisa Hall set her sights on becoming the first three-time winner on this season’s Ladies’ European Tour after taking the halfway leads at the Dubai Ladies’ Masters but Laura Davies was hard on her heels at the Emirates Golf Club.

Sweden’s Louise Stahle soared into the lead with a brilliant course-record 64, and it was also a good opening day for England’s Laura Davies and Lisa Hall at the Dubai Ladies’ Masters at the Emirates Golf Club.

France’s Gwladys Nocera claimed her fifth Ladies European Tour title at the inaugural EMAAR-MGF Masters in India.

France’s Gwladys Nocera carded a level-par 72 in the third round of the EMAAR-MGF Ladies Masters in India and maintained her overnight lead.

Scotland’s Catriona Matthew failed to make it into the final day after a disappointing third-round 79 at the ADT Championship at Trump International, West Palm Beach, Florida.

Britain’s Laura Davies and Momoko Ueda are tied for the lead on seven under par heading into Sunday’s final round of the Mizuno Classic.