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.

GALWAY girl Alison Walshe may lead the way in Meath but she’s playing under an American flag and won’t be back at Killeen Castle for the Solheim Cup next month.

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

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.

GARETH MAYBIN has wrapped up his Tour card early for a second year running after finishing joint second in the Ballantine’s Championship in Korea.

Yani Tseng has won the first women's golf Major of the year, winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship as overnight leader Karen Stupples faded over the final round in California.

Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson led the Longs Drugs Challenge by two shots after shooting a first round total at 65 for seven under par on the Blackhawk Country Club course in Danville, California.

THE stalls did well at the final day of the AIB Ladies Irish Open in Portmarnock links yesterday as play was suspended twice – at 9.50am for 30 minutes and for a longer period at 1pm until 4.15pm – due to dense fog coming in from the coast.

England’s Laura Davies fired a course-record seven-under-par 65 in sunny conditions to take a one-stroke lead heading into the final round of the UNIQA Ladies Golf Open in Austria.

England’s Laura Davies is looking to erase one of the lowest points of her career last week by bouncing back to form at the UNIQA Ladies Golf Open in Austria, starting tomorrow.

Mhairi McKay and Janice Moodie believe it is important for Scotland to continue hosting the Ladies European Tour in order to help the growth of the women’s game in their homeland.

America’s women golfers retained the Solheim Cup with a storming singles display at Halmstad in Sweden today.

Two great escapes and a moment of huge relief today kept alive Europe’s hopes of winning back the Solheim Cup in Sweden.

Two great escapes and a moment of huge relief today kept alive Europe’s hopes of winning back the Solheim Cup in Sweden.

For the first time since 1998 the United States lead Europe after the first day of the Solheim Cup – but not by anything like the margin they had hoped for at Halmstad in Sweden.

Holders America had the chance to pull well clear of Europe on the opening day of the Solheim Cup at Halmstad in Sweden.

Holders America made the start they were hoping for in the Solheim Cup in Sweden today – and Europe’s players had only themselves to blame for a large part of it.

Nine years after they first played together against the Americans, Scot Catriona Matthew will again partner Annika Sorenstam when the Solheim Cup starts in Sweden tomorrow.

Scotland’s Mhairi McKay claimed a share of second place as Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa again underlined her dominance of the women’s game with victory at the Safeway Classic in Oregon.

Annika Sorenstam, Suzann Pettersen, Catriona Matthew and Sophie Gustafson have made the European Solheim Cup team as the top four Europeans on the Rolex World Rankings not already qualified from the European points’ standings.

Scotland’s Catriona Matthew claimed her fifth worldwide title with a three-stroke victory at the Scandinavian TPC Hosted by Annika.

Scotland’s Catriona Matthew produced the round of the tournament – a six-under-par 66 – to take a share of the lead after the third day’s play at the Scandinavian TPC.

Laura Diaz claimed the lead at the Scandinavian TPC in Sweden as one of two players to manage successive sub-par rounds.

Annika Sorenstam begins the defence of her own tournament in Sweden tomorrow hoping to salvage a difficult season.

American Juli Inkster set her sights on becoming the oldest winner on the LPGA Tour after a third-round 69 gave her a two-shot lead at the Evian Masters.

World number one Annika Sorenstam suffered a shock exit at the halfway stage of the ADT Championship at Trump International in West Palm Beach in Florida today.

Lorena Ochoa overcame a three-stroke deficit to win the Samsung World Championship, denying Annika Sorenstam a sixth victory at the event in Palm Desert, California.

Annika Sorenstam struggled but nevertheless is in good shape in her quest for a sixth victory at the Samsung World Championship.

Defending champion Annika Sorenstam claimed a share of the first-round lead in the Samsung World Championship in California with a five-under-par 67 at the Bighorn Golf Club.

American Sherri Steinhauer enjoyed a few extra spin-offs from her impressive win in the Weetabix Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

American Sherri Steinhauer rolled back the clock today when she shot a six under par 66 and took a two-shot lead after the third round of the Weetabix Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Swedes Annika Sorenstam and Sophie Gustafson kept the European flag flying as they advanced to today’s quarter-finals of the HSBC Women’s World Matchplay Championship at Hamilton Golf Club in Gladstone, New Jersey.

British interest ended today with defeats for Catriona Matthew and Laura Davies in the HSBC Women’s World Matchplay Championship at Hamilton Golf Club in Gladstone, New Jersey.

Seon Hwa Lee shot a near-perfect round to take advantage of overnight leader Ai Miyazato’s slip up and win the Shoprite Classic in Galloway, New Jersey.

England’s Sue Strudwick turned back the clock with a great third-round 67 as American Angela Stanford took a grip on the Franklin American Mortgage Championship in Nashville, Tennessee.

AMERICAN journeyman Bart Bryant upstaged world number one Tiger Woods by cruising to a six-shot victory in the season-ending Tour Championship on Sunday.

EUROPE reeled in a rampant American side with a stunning comeback and claimed the opening series of foursomes 3-1 in the Solheim Cup at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Indiana, yesterday.

Laura Davies returns to the American LPGA Tour at the Wendy's Championship for Children at Tartan Fields in Ohio today happy in the knowledge her Solheim Cup place is safe.

Europe’s Solheim Cup team will be finalised at the conclusion of the Ladies’ Finnish Masters this Sunday, but England’s Laura Davies is already guaranteed to continue her ever-present record.

JEONG JANG became the fourth South Korean to win a women’s major yesterday when she held off a challenge from former champion Sophie Gustafson with a final round 69 in the Weetabix Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale.

SOUTH KOREA’S Jeong Jang shot an amazing 68 to lead the field after the first round of the Weetabix Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale, ruined by cold, wind and rain.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE is among a number of male golfers expressing doubts about the increasing amount of lady golfers playing at the men’s tournaments.