Welsh ace Boulden to make Curtis Cup bow

CONWY teenager Amy Boulden will make her Curtis Cup debut this June after being named as the sole Welsh golfer in the Great Britain & Ireland team to face the USA.

The 18-year-old, who played for Europe in last year’s Junior Solheim Cup, made the eight-strong squad though Haverfordwest’s Becky Harries had to settle for a place as third reserve.

The big talking point surrounding Tegwen Matthews’s side will undoubtedly revolve around English star Charley Hull, who was expected to miss out on selection having chosen to take up an invite to play at the LPGA’s Kraft Nabisco event in California.

That went against the original selection criteria which stated that if someone chose not to attend last week’s Curtis Cup team trial they would not be eligible for this summer’s event.

However, the independent selection panel made a U-turn over its policy and the 16-year-old will now take her place in the team for the showdown with the USA at Nairn, Scotland from June 8-10.

The other squad members are Holly Clyburn, Bronte Law, Kelly Tidy (all England), Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow (both Ireland) and Pamela Pretswell (Scotland).

For Boulden, selection is just reward for a highly successful few years and comes after she was a reserve in 2010 when the USA continued their run of victories that dates back to 1998.

Last year, Boulden was a member of the GB & Ireland team which beat Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia to win the Astor Trophy and a week later she played for Europe in the Vagliano Trophy match at Royal Porthcawl.

In August 2011, the youngster won all her singles matches for Wales in the Girls’ Home Internationals at Gullane and finished fourth in the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Strokeplay at Royal Ashdown Forest.

Meanwhile, joining Harries on the reserve list is Lisa Maguire, twin sister of Leona, English 15-year-old Georgia Hall and Scot Kelsey MacDonald.

Hull’s Woburn clubmate, Lauren Taylor, the youngest winner of the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship last June, was not selected because of doubts about her fitness.

“I am confident that the mix of experience, talent and enthusiasm within this team will prove to be a winning formula for success and that they will be playing with immense pride and desire to bring the Curtis Cup back home,” said team captain Matthews.