Coughlan shock omission from Curtis Cup elite squad

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.

Trish Mangan of Ennis is the only Irish golfer in the 16-strong panel.

The Cork Golf Club star has been thrown the sop of a place among the reserves, but this is scant reward for her outstanding consistency over the years, culminating in her victory in this year’s Irish Strokeplay Championship, which she followed by taking five points from a possible six in the Home Internationals.

In beating Curtis Cup player Kerry Smith (who now finds herself relegated to the elite squad reserves list along with Coughlan and another Irish girl, Tara Delany of Carlow) on the final afternoon, Claire shot five birdies in a spectacular two holes win.

Another Irish player with good reason to feel aggrieved at being left out is Shannon’s Heather Nolan, who demonstrated a sound golf game and great nerve when coming from three down with six to play to defeat Curtis Cup player Danielle Masters in a crucial match on the final day of the internationals.

She, too, has shown commendably consistent form over the past couple of years.

On the plus side, it is apparent that Irish champion Martina Gillen has not been forgotten for she is listed among a pair of “US based” players who will assuredly come into the reckoning at a later stage of the selectorial process. For players like Claire Coughlan and Heather Nolan, however, they now face an uphill battle in forcing their way into serious reckoning for one of the coveted eight places in the British & Irish side.

The elite squad will have a fitness testing session at Manchester University on Friday before moving on to the Marriott Worsley Park Hotel for training under skipper Ada O’Sullivan of Monkstown over the weekend.

The Curtis Cup elite squad is: Becky Brewerton (Abergele), Emma Duggleby (Malton & Norton), Anna Highgate (Cottrell Park), Sarah Jones (Pennard), Lynn Kenny (University of Stirling), Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), Trish Mangan (Ennis), Danielle Masters (Rochester & Cobham), Shelley McKevitt (Reading), Fame More (Chesterfield), Kate Phillips (Creigau), Clare Queen (Drumpellier), Nicole Timmins (Sene Valley), Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park). Reserves: Claire Coughlan (Cork), Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), Tara Delany (Carlow). US-based: Martina Gillen (Beaverstown), Heather MacRae (Dunblane New).