ST ANDREWS TROPHY MATCH

FISHER BEATS RAMSAY IN RACE TO GET
TROPHY-CLINCHING POINT

Richie Ramsay, rested from the morning foursomes, returned to something like the form that won him the US amateur championship by gaining a revenge win over his Friday conqueror, Finland’s Antti Ahokas by 3 and 2 as Great Britain & Ireland retained the St Andrews Trophy at Marianske Lazne Golf Club in the Czech Republic today.
GB&I actually lost the second-day programme 6½ -5½ , but had built up a big enough lead on the opening day to win 15-9 overall.
It was GB&I’s third successive win over the Continent of Europe in the biennial match and their 23rd in the 26 staging of the contest – but victories for the Continental boys in this and last year’s Jacques Leglise Trophy match suggests that when these teenagers are promoted, the St Andrews Trophy might be a closer contest in 2008 and 2010 at least. .Having shared the foursomes 2-2, GB&I teed-off in the singles requiring a single point to push themselves over the winning line and it was Ramsay who came within a whisker of seizing that honour.Ireland's Rory McIlroy, the new European individual champion, edged the visitors nearer their target when he halved his match with British Amateur champion Julien Guerrier (France) leaving Ramsay and St Andrews Links Trophy winner Oliver Fisher, pictured right, to battle it out for the “honour” of landing the the St Andrews Trophy-winning point.
Essex teenager Fisher won the race, putting out on the 15th green to seal a 4 and 3 win over Matteo Del Podio, just seconds before Ramsay clinched a 3 and 2 success over the Finnish left-hander Ahokas on the 16th. "Oliver and myself had a bit of a laugh about that," admitted Ramsay. "It would've been nice to have had that honour to cap off what has been an amazing week for me. I like being in those positions where there is some pressure on the game but in the end it doesn't matter who gets the point as long as the team won."GB&I skipper Dalgleish, the former Scottish amateur champion, savoured his first major victory in his new role and added: "I'm delighted for everybody involved. We had done a lot of the spade work on Friday and that got us well ahead. Today was that bit closer but we had that quality in the team to finish the job off."

ST ANDREWS TROPHY

FINAL SCORELINE

GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND 15,
CONTINENT OF EUROPE 9


SECOND-DAY RESULTS
FOURSOMES
GB&I names first
R McIlroy (Ire) and O Fisher (Eng) bt J Guerrier (Fra) and J Grillon (Fra) 1 hole.
N Edwards (Wal) and R Davies (Wal) bt A Ahokas (Fin) and W Besseling (Ger) 2 and 1.
L Saltman (Sco) and R Dinwiddie (Eng) lost to M Delpodio (Ita) and L Gagli (Ita) 5 and 3.
R McGowan (Eng) and J Moul (Eng) lost to J Garcia del Moral (Spa) and J L Adarraga (Spa) 2&1.
GB&I 2, CONTINENT OF EUROPE 2

SINGLES
McIlroy halved with Guerrier.
R Ramsay (Sco) bt Ahokas 3 and 2.
Fisher bt Delpodio 4 and 3.
Edwards lost to Gagli 1 hole.
Dinwiddie lost to Ulrich 2 and 1.
Moul lost to Garcia del Moral 3 and 2.
Davies bt Grillon 4 and 3.
Saltman lost to Besseling 6 and 5.
GB&I 3 ½, CONTINENT OF EUROPE 4 ½

+To find out details of a runaway win for the Continent in the Jacques Leglise Trophy match, switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk