Impressive St Andrews Trophy display from Stuart Wilson’s side
FORMAT: 2-day team foursomes / singles matchplay
GB&I regained the St Andrews Trophy despite a strong rearguard action from Continental Europe in today’s closing session.
The visiting side were in a dominant position ahead of the final nine singles in Slovakia today. A 3-1 foursomes victory this morning left GB&I 11-5 up and needing just two points to win the event for the first time since 2016.
However the Continentals took 3.5 points from a possible four at the top of the order before Ireland’s Mark Power and Scottish teenager Calum Scott (Nairn) both recorded emphatic victories to make things safe for Stuart Wilson’s side, who took the spoils 14.5-10.5.
GB&I took control of the match yesterday evening when, after a slow start in the foursomes, they won the afternoon session 6-2.
That came they battled back impressively in the opening foursomes. Sam Bairstow (Hallowes) and Matthew McClean came from behind to ensure their side did not trail.
And then Amateur Championship finalist Bairstow was one of five winners in the afternoon as GB&I moved into a 8-4 lead at halfway. At the bottom of the order Arron Edwards-Hill (Chelmsford) rounded things off in style with a 6&5 drubbing of Sweden’s David Lundgren.
This morning’s foursomes were all tight-run affairs but once again the visiting pairs stayed strong to the end. Bairstow and McClean won the 18th to take the spoils while Walker Cup duo Mark Power and Barclay Brown (Hallamshire) won by 2 holes, a score also matched by Edwards-Hill and Scott.
This afternoon GB&I looked set for an emphatic victory. At one point they were only behind one match.
But then John Gough (Beaconsfield) was pegged back to half a point by Frenchman Martin Courva, Lundgren finished strongly against Bairstow and Brown, who was one up after 12 against Portugal’s Daniel Da Costa Rodrigues, could not hold on and lost by 2 holes.
With McClean also losing, the Continentals had given themselves a lifeline but Power, who was 6 up thru 10 did not let up (6&4) while Scott also got up early against Germany’s Maximilian Steinlechner and saw it out 4&3, confirming victory for his team.
The competition took place for the first time in four years with Covid forcing the cancellation of the 2020 meeting. The Continentals had won in 2018 in Finland and the previous two meetings had gone the way of GB&I.