Leona Maguire one of three Irish selected on Curtis Cup team

Nearly a decade after excruciating back pain left her crawling to her car on all fours and contemplating giving up the game forever, Skerries’ Maria Dunne was floating on air yesterday.

The 32-year old Dubliner was thrilled to be one of two picks by captain Elaine Farquharson-Black and named alongside Irish team mates and automatic qualifiers Leona Maguire and Olivia Mehaffey and five English players in the eight-strong Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team to face the United States.

Now she’s determined to make her selection all the more memorable by winning back the trophy at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club from June 10-12.

“I was on the 14th hole on Conwy in Wales practicing for the Welsh Women’s Open this week and literally found out then,” said a delighted Dunne, who is the first GB&I player over 30 to make the side since Ennis’ Tricia Mangan got the call up at the same age in 2008.

“It’s unbelievable. It was a dream and you always wonder if it’s possible. So I guess it was.

“My determination paid off and I have to thank my amazing coach, Roger Yates, who will have two players in Dun Laoghaire because Meghan McLaren is also with him.”

Dunne sealed her place at Royal Troon last weekend when she was co-leader with three holes to play in the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Strokeplay Championship but double bogeyed the 17th and eventually finished solo third behind runner up Mehaffey and eventual champion Olivia Winning.

“I had it in my head that I needed to do something in the Irish Strokeplay at The Island to get on the Curtis Cup team so when it didn’t go as well as I wanted, I thought that maybe my chance had gone and I went into Scotland feeling relaxed and free,” said Dunne.

“Troon was a fantastic week for me. But when thought about it on the ferry home, I was thinking it was a pity I dropped two shots on 17 and if I had won the Helen Holm, would I have made the Curtis Cup team. So I was resigned to the fact that I had done my best.

“Now I am stunned and absolutely thrilled.”

Having three Irish players in the Curtis Cup team for the first time since Danielle McVeigh and the Maguire twins Lisa and Leona played in 2010 is a major boost to the ILGU and its High Performance programme/

High Performance manager David Kearney was delighted for all three but singled out Dunne for special mention.

He said: “She went out to the Scottish Open Stroke Play last week knowing she needed to come close to a win and nearly did. Her determination and preparation is second to none.”

GB&I Curtis Cup team: Maria Dunne (Skerries, Ire), Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted, Eng), Bronte Law (Bramhall, Eng), Meghan McLaren (Wellingborough, Eng), Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell, Ire), Olivia Mehaffey (Royal County Down Ladies', Ire), Rochelle Morris (Woodsome Hall, Eng), Charlotte Thomas (Moonah Links, Australia, Eng)

1st Reserve: Lianna Bailey (Kirby Muxloe, Eng)

Captain: Elaine Farquharson Black (Sco). Manager: Helen Hewlett (Eng).