European Team Championship joy for England women and Boys
FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play qualifier + two foursome / 5 singles, 3-round knock-out
It finished England 2, Sweden 2 as the finalists in the European Team Championships were decided today.
Across all four events – men/women/girls/boys – England met Sweden in the semi-finals with defending champions England Women impressing as they won through at Conwy while England Boys won a nailbiter in Germany.
It was not such good news for England men at Royal St George’s while England Girls lost 6-1 in Iceland.
England women will tackle Italy in tomorrow’s final after seeing off the challenge of a strong-looking Swedish squad 4.5-2.5.
Caley McGinty (Knowle) and Lottie Woad (Farnham) combined well in the foursomes and both enjoyed big wins in the singles alongside Hunstanton’s Amelia Williamson, who ran out a 7&5 victor at the top of the order.
It was lot closer in Germany where it came down to the anchor match involving Frank Kennedy and Albert Hansson. The USA-based teenager took a one-hole lead down the last and two solid shots into the green were followed by two solid putts to see things out. In the morning the English Boys won both foursomes and Essex’s Harley Smith (The Rayleigh Club) maintained his sparkling form to win the opening singles 7&6.
But the Swedes won the next three matches before Portuguese International Men’s Amateur champion Kennedy held on at the death and tomorrow England face a powerful German unit led by the brilliant Tim Wiedemeyer.
England’s Men were on the wrong side of a 4-3 in Kent where Yorkshire duo Sam Bairstow (Hallowes) and Barclay Brown (Hallamshire) both won their singles but it wasn’t quite enough.
In Iceland only Isla McDonald-O’Brien (Shrewsbury) got a point but two of the losing singles matches went down the 18th and in the morning Ellen Yates (West Hill) and Rachel Gourley (Arcot Hall) lost their foursomes match at the second extra hole.