SPORTSWOMAN OF THE MONTH: When the 16-strong British and Irish elite squad was selected in October, in preparation for last month's Curtis Cup, Claire Coughlan's name was notable by its absence, writes Mary Hannigan.

Having inspired Ireland the month before to their first victory in the Home Internationals since 1986, winning five points out of a possible six, the Little Island golfer must have wondered quite what she had to do to fulfil a long-held ambition to play in the Curtis Cup.

She was, though, named as first reserve in the squad, and by April, when the eight-player Curtis Cup team was chosen, the Cork woman's name was notable by its presence.

"She might be small in stature but she's a tiger of a player," captain Ada O'Sullivan (another Cork woman) said of Coughlan, who had, tigerishly, fought her way into the reckoning, not least through her form during the squad's training in Portugal.

Just making the Curtis Cup team, the only Irish woman to do so this year, might have put Coughlan amongst the contenders for the Irish Times/Mitsubishi Electric Sports Woman award for June; the quality of her performances when she made her debut in the competition against the United States in Formby clinched it.

Coughlan was unbeaten in her three matches, one of only four competitors, out of the 16, to take three points. She twice partnered Anne Laing to foursome victories over US pairings that included Michelle Wie, the new star of women's golf, and also won her singles match, beating Brittany Lang.

When she was selected for the team O'Sullivan remarked that Coughlan never knew when she was beaten and "that's just the sort of player you want in your side".

That quality was in evidence when Coughlan beat Lang, fighting back from two holes down after the 12th to win by two on the 18th.

Her personal success at Formby, the 24-year-old admitted, was poor consolation in the immediate aftermath of Britain and Ireland's agonising 10-8 defeat, but since then she has been able to take immense satisfaction from her performances.

"The more the weeks go by the more you think about it and the happier you get, but initially it was very disappointing. We came so close but we all gave it our best shot, we could do no more.

"Looking back though," she said, "it was fantastic, a great week. Playing in the Curtis Cup had been my ambition since 1998, 1999; it's every amateur's ultimate goal - it's like the Ryder Cup. I was nervous going over but once I got there and met the girls I was relaxed, fine about it, and ready to go."

Amongst her supporters in Formby were her parents, Tony and Mary, and her grandparents Mick and Eileen Twohig.

Mick was entitled to take particular pleasure from his granddaughter's success, having coached her since she was six.

They watched as Coughlan rose to the occasion, despite being somewhat hampered by a stomach that was "churning throughout the whole round" against Lang.

"That's what it's all about, that's what you practise for and work for, the adrenalin . . . there's nothing like walking down the fairways with the crowds clapping you," she said.

By the time she beat Lang she already had those two foursomes victories over Wie to her name.

"I'd heard a lot of hype about her but I'd never actually seen her hit a shot until the first morning's foursomes," said Coughlan of the 14-year-old who, by then, had already played in nine professional tournaments.

"But when you're playing someone you can't treat them differently; if you put them on a pedestal you've lost. But I've no doubt that she will be world number one in a few more years, she's such a fantastic striker of a ball."

Still, though, Coughlan, with Laing, beat Wie twice. Was she watching you strike the ball? "Yeah, maybe I'll have to give her a few lessons."

The schedule? "Two weeks off, then I start again: Irish strokeplay, British strokeplay, Interpros, Home internationals."

A quiet period, then. Time to reflect on an exceptional Curtis Cup debut.