World No 1 Leona Maguire leads the Irish contingent on the eight-strong Britain and Ireland team for the 39th Curtis Cup match against the USA at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club from 10-12 June.
Maguire [Slieve Russell], world No 9 Olivia Mehaffey [Royal County Down] and Maria Dunne [Skerries] will fly the flag for the host nation. Dunne and Mehaffey will be among five debutants on the team.
Maguire was a cert to make the team as the top four ranked players in the World Amateur Golf Rankings [WAGR] and the top two two in the LGU Order of Merit were automatic selections.
Maguire had an outstanding 2015 season as she reached number one in the WAGR in mid May 2015, won the 2015 Annika Award for the best golfer of the year in American college women’s golf and was selected as the 2015 WGCA [Women's Golf Coaches Association] Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
She'll be competing in her fourth consecutive Curtis Cup, and with only one win for the GB&I side in 2012, Maguire will be on a mission.
Mehaffey is the third highest ranked GB&I player in the WAGR. In 2015 she took the Scottish Ladies, Welsh Ladies and Irish Girls’ championships, and this year has the Irish Ladies title under her belt.
Dunne was one of two picks to join Elaine Farquharson-Black’s side to face the USA at the Curtis Cup Match in June. She was chosen alongside England’s Charlotte Thomas.
Dunne has been an Irish Ladies International for five consecutive years and has been a familiar face at the Home International Matches and European Team Championships over the past number of years.
Chief Executive of the ILGU, Sinead Heraty, said: "The girls are receiving the reward for their commitment and it’s obvious that the investment we have made in the ILGU High Performance Programme is paying dividends.
"There will be great excitement around the match and we look forward to welcoming all players and supporters to Dun Laoghaire in June."
Chief Executive of the ILGU, Sinead Heraty, said: "The girls are receiving the reward for their commitment and it’s obvious that the investment we have made in the ILGU High Performance Programme is paying dividends.
"There will be great excitement around the match and we look forward to welcoming all players and supporters to Dun Laoghaire in June."
