European Team Championship regained at Conwy
FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play qualifier + two foursomes / 5 singles, 3-round knock-out
England’s formidable Women’s team secured their second successive European Team Championship crown after seeing off Italy in today’s final at Conwy.
After the winning the event for the first time in four years at Royal County Down last year, the six-strong squad, containing four of the same players, delivered a 4.5-2.5 victory in North Wales.
For quite a long time it looked like the Italians had the upper hand but Amelia Williamson (Hunstanton) turned her match around after trailing early while debutant Lottie Woad (Farnham) led for most of the back nine before winning it on the 17th to secure the match-winning point.
It proved an extra special week for the 18-year-old Surrey ace, a recent winner of the Henry Cooper Junior Masters. She was played twice a day in all three knock-out matches and won all six times.
“I’m so very happy to have won the title with this team,” Woad told England Golf.
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“I had worked out that it was all down to me as I knew Amelia had won and then I saw Charlotte walking down the fairway too!
“My opponent was in a bit of trouble on 17, so I just had to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes. I left my first putt short when I had two for the game, but at least the two-footer I had for the win was straight!”
Her partnership in the foursomes with two-time Curtis Cup ace Caley McGinty proved a formidable. The duo were unbeaten and critically got England on the board this morning after Charlotte Heath (Huddersfield) and Amelia Williamson (Hunstanton) had lost in the lead-out match.
Both players reponded brilliantly in the afternoon with Heath powering into a four-hole lead at halfway in her singles clash with Emilie Paltrinieri, eventually seeing it out 4&3. Williamson was behind on the front nine but gradually worked her way into a strong position and saw off Carolina Melgrati 3&2.
There was also a brilliant fightback from Whitley Bay’s Rosie Belsham, who was four down after 10 but gained a half point after winning the last two holes.
In the boys final in Germany it wasn’t to be for England, who lost 4.5-2.5 to the hosts. Harley Smith (The Rayleigh Club) and Josh Berry (Doncaster) maintained their excellent run in the foursomes, taking the top match by two holes.
However the Germans overwhelmed them in the singles. England’s only winner after lunch was Tyler Weaver (Bury St Edmunds).
England’s Men lost the third/fourth placed play-off to Denmark 5-2 at Royal St George’s while England Girls also finished fourth after narrowly losing to Germany in Iceland.
In the Men’s final the formidable-looking Spanish outfit beat Sweden 4.5-2.5.