Teenage Edinburgh golfer Hannah Darling picked for Great Britain & Ireland women's squad

Hannah Darling is the Under-16 Open champion and Scottish Girls title holder

The Broomieknowe player is among five Scots selected in a provisional squad by the R&A for next year’s Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe.

That takes place at Royal St George’s in June, and Darling has put herself in the running after enjoying another eye-catching year.

She got the season off to a flying start by winning the inaugural Girls Under-16 Open Championship at Fulford in April.

Darling then made a successful defence of the Scottish Girls’ title at Moray, having been the youngest player to claim that prize in 2017 – at 13.

She’s now become one of three players under the age of 16 to be selected in a 19-strong squad for that Vagliano Trophy tussle in Kent.

Ireland’s Beth Coulter is the youngest at 14, with 15-year-old Welsh star Ffion Tynan also joining Darling in making the list.

“It’s been a great year yet again with a few big highlights and it was great to see my name alongside a few big names in the squad,” she told the Edinburgh Evening News.

“My hard work is paying off, which drives me to do better. I’m looking forward to seeing where everything takes me in 2019.”

The other Scots in the squad are Hannah McCook (Grantown-on-Spey), Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne), Chloe Goadby (St Regulus) and Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies).

Meanwhile, Jane Turner has been handed a boost for her 2019 campaign after the Midlothian pro secured a new base.

“I’m proud to say that I am now representing Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club and will act as an ambassador whilst at home and on tour,” she said.

“Dalmahoy has given me the perfect base for all of my practice with two great golf courses and quality practice facilities available for my short game.

“They also have an indoor studio, which has allowed me to keep practising even with the awful weather we have had in Edinburgh over the last few weeks.

“Dalmahoy also have a state-of-the art Leisure Club that I can use and now that my gym and golf facilities are in one place it means I can be even more productive with my time.”

Turner fell two shots short of securing a full LET card for next season in this week’s  90-hole Qualifying School in Morocco.

“Frustratingly, it was not what I had hoped for,” she said. “I’ll have some starts next year but not as many as I had hoped.”