Day 2 of Men's Home Internationals at Hillside
Scotland crush Wales 12 1/2-2 1/2 but
At one stage in the afternoon England seemed to be on the ropes with the Irish getting off to a solid start. But the tide gradually turned and the England wins flowed.
Matt Haines found himself 3-down to the unbeaten Pat Murray but got back to all-square through 11. The Kent man eased ahead on the 13th and stayed there to win 2 and 1.
The second match saw England’s only setback and strangely it was Dale Whitnell, who lost his unbeaten tag to Alan Dunbar. The match turned on Dunbar winning three holes in a row from the seventh.
Although Whitnell got it back to one he eventually lost on the final green.
Sam Hutsby was another who fell behind early on to Paul Cutler but he was ahead by the turn, got to 3-up after 12 and chalked up a second singles win 2 and 1.
Chris Paisley, who sat out the foursomes, lost the opening hole but was another to turn it around against Connor Doran and went on to win comfortably 5 and 3, while Tommy Fleetwood, with a good local gallery following his progress, was always in front against Kelan McDonagh, winning 5 and 4.
Jamie Abbott secured his first victory with a final green win over Cian Curley but he was also down in the early stages, but Luke Goddard always seemed in control against Dara Lernihan, winning 3 and 2.
The final green was also the scene for James Robinson and Stiggy Hodgson to claim halves against Niall Kearney and Robert Cannon respectively, while Farren Keenan won on the 16th against Simon Ward.
Scotland are still in with a chance of adding the title to their World and European crowns after overwhelmed Wales 12.5 - 2.5, having taken all five morning foursomes. Their captain Scott Knowles was delighted with his side.
“That must go down as one of our biggest ever wins,” he said. “You always like to come away with a clean sheet in the foursomes but it is never easy. But our boys played to a high standard We are still in with a chance of the title but it isn’t completely in our hands. All we can do is win as many matches as possible and hope that England slip up.”
There was little joy for the Welsh apart from a 4 and 3 win for Oliver Farr over Ross Kellett. Otherwise it was total Tartan supremacy. Gavin Dear and David Law both gave Scotland wins on the 18th green against Luke Thomas and Rhys Enoch respectively, while Wallace Booth beat Adam Runcie 2 and 1.
That sealed the Scots overall victory but there were still wins to come for Steven McEwan, who only lost one hole in beating Rhys Pugh 4 and 3, for James Byrne, who overcame Nigel Edwards 3 and 2, and for Paul O’Hara, who lost the opening hole to Alistair Jones but took the second, fourth and sixth on his way to a 3 and 2 triumph.
However, the Welsh kept battling and Joe Vickery won the 18th to grab a half against James White, while Ben Westgate also had to settle for a half after losing the final hole against Michael Stewart.
In the final match, James Frazer secured another half for Wales after winning the 12th hole against Glenn Campbell to go all-square and battling through the final six holes for a share of the spoils.
In tomorrow’s final matches, England play Wales and Scotland meet Ireland.
For those unable to attend, scoring, championship commentary and news updates are available on the Home Internationals website, http://www.homeinternationals.org/.
RECAP ON THE MORNING FOURSOMES
After their first-day victories, Wales and England were brought back to earth with a bump at Hillside this morning. Scotland claimed all five foursomes against Wales, while England struggled to trail 1-3 with one match halved.
Wales, who beat Ireland on the final green of the final match yesterday, gained some early success, otherwise the Scots were generally in control. In a match that contained nine birdies, Adam Runcie and Ben Westgate were two up for Wales early on against Ross Kellett and James Bryne. But they were pegged back and with three to play the match was all-square.
The Scots got their noses in front for the first time on the 16th and they also won the last to win by two holes.
Scotland bossed Game 2 through Wallace Booth and Michael Stewart who opened with two birdies against Rhys Enoch and Oliver Farr. The Scots remained two up at the turn to be out in 34 to 38.
An eagle 3 at the 11th saw the Scots go further in front and although they lost the 12th to a birdie, Booth and Stewart took the match 4 and 3 with winning pars at the 14th and 15th, the Scots being four under at the finish.
Nigel Edwards and Rhys Pugh for Wales and Scotland’s Gavin Dear and Keir McNicoll were nip-and-tuck over the front nine which concluded with the Scots one ahead. But Wales conceded the 11th then lost the 13th to a bogey-5 to be three down, a margin they failed to close.
Richard Hooper and Alistair Jones for Wales and David Law and James White were separated by only one hole through 13 but the Scots won four holes in a row from the 14th, only one with a birdie, to get home 3 and 2.
In the bottom match, Glenn Campbell and Steven McEwan for Scotland went in front on the fourth hole and gradually increased their advantage over Joe Vickery and James Frazer to complete another 3 and 2 victory, leaving Scotland 5-0 ahead at lunch.
England’s early showing promised a continuation of their day one performance but it was short-lived. Most pairings were below form and the Irish grabbed the nettle to build a useful lead. Matt Haines and Tommy Fleetwood were all-square with Paul Cutler and Alan Dunbar through 16 holes but the Irish took the 17th with a birdie-4 and held on for a narrow win.
In Game 2, Sam Hutsby and Stiggy Hodgson fell behind to Dara Lernihan and Pat Murray on the second hole and were six down at the turn. The English won the next three holes but the Irish won the 14th and the match 4 and 3.
Dale Whitnell and Luke Goddard were never behind against Simon Ward and Niall Kearney and ran out 3 and 2 winners to give England hope. But that was England’s only success as the other two games ‘got away’.
There was little to choose between Ireland’s Connor Doran and Robert Cannon and England’s Jamie Abbott and Farren Keenan but the Irish edged in front with a par at the 13th and held that lead to win by the narrowest of margins.
The bottom match featuring Lancashire locals Matt Nixon and James Robinson for England and Ireland’s Cian Curley and Paul O’Kane, was full of errant play from both pairs but England came to the 17th one up and with a short putt to close out the contest. But it was missed and the Irish took full advantage on the last to snatch a win with a par 4 to grab an unexpected half.
THURSDAY MATCH DETAILS
WALES 2 1/2, SCOTLAND 12 1/2
Foursomes (0-5)
Wales names first
Adam Runice & Ben Westgate lost to Ross Kellett & James Byrne 2 holes.
Rhys Enoch & Oliver Farr lost to Wallace Booth & Michael Stewart 4 and 3.
Nigel Edwards & Rhys Pugh lost to Gavin Dear & Keir McNicoll 3 and 1.
Richard Hoper & Alistair Jones lost to David Law & James White 3 and 1.
Joe Vickery & James Frazer lost to Glenn Campbell & Steven McEwan 3 and 2.
Singles (2 1/2-7 1/2)
Luke Thomas lost to Gavin Dear 1 hole.
Oliver Farr bt Ross Kellett 4 and 3.
Rhys Enoch lost to David Law 1 hole.
Adam Runcie lost to Wallace Booth 2 and 1.
Nigel Edwards lost to James Byrne 3 and 2.
Ben Westgate halved with Michael Stewart.
Joe Vickery halved with James White.
Rhys Pugh lost to Steven McEwan 4 and 3.
Alistair Jones lost to Paul O'Hara 3 and 2.
James Frazer halved with Glenn Campbell.
ENGLAND 9 1/2, IRELAND 5 1/2
Foursomes (1 1/2-3 1/2)
England names first
Matt Haines & Tommy Fleetwood lost to Paul Cutler & Alan Dunbar 1 hole.
Sam Hutsby & Stiggy Hodgson lost to Dara Lernihan & Pat Murray 4 and 3.
Dale Whitnell & Luke Goddard bt Simon Ward & Niall Kearney 3 and 2.
Jamie Abbott & Farren Keenan lost to Connor Doran & Robert Cannon 1 hole.
Matthew Nixon & James Robinson halved with Cian Curley & Paul O'Kane.
Singles (8-2)
Matt Haines bt Pat Murray 2 and 1.
Dale Whitnell lost to Alan Dunbar 1 hole.
Sam Hutsby bt Paul Cutler 2 and 1.
James Robinson halved with Niall Kearney.
Chris Paisley bt Connor Doran 5 and 3.
Jamie Abbott bt Cian Curley 1 hole.
Tommy Fleetwood bt Kelan McDonagh 5 and 4.
Luke Goddard bt Dara Lernihan 3 and 2.
Stiggy Hodgson halved with Robert Cannon.
Farren Keenan bt Simon Ward 3 and 2.
England beat Ireland 9 1/2-5 1/2
FROM THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
England bounced back from a disappointing morning to beat Ireland 9.5 – 5.5 to move within a win of regaining the Home Internationals title, while Scotland crushed Wales 12.5 – 2.5 to keep their hopes alive.
For the second successive day, England were not firing on all cylinders in the foursomes and they went into lunch two points down on the Irish. But the singles was a different story as they claimed seven of the ten singles, halved two and lost just one.
"That was another unbelievable win,” said England captain Colin Edwards. “We played poorly in the foursomes but to come back and win eight of the singles against a strong Irish side was incredible.
“We don’t seem to have it right in the foursomes but hopefully it will be better tomorrow against Wales. We have a great chance of the title but Wales will be disappointed at their result today so I’m expecting another hard match.”At one stage in the afternoon England seemed to be on the ropes with the Irish getting off to a solid start. But the tide gradually turned and the England wins flowed.
Matt Haines found himself 3-down to the unbeaten Pat Murray but got back to all-square through 11. The Kent man eased ahead on the 13th and stayed there to win 2 and 1.
The second match saw England’s only setback and strangely it was Dale Whitnell, who lost his unbeaten tag to Alan Dunbar. The match turned on Dunbar winning three holes in a row from the seventh.
Although Whitnell got it back to one he eventually lost on the final green.
Sam Hutsby was another who fell behind early on to Paul Cutler but he was ahead by the turn, got to 3-up after 12 and chalked up a second singles win 2 and 1.
Chris Paisley, who sat out the foursomes, lost the opening hole but was another to turn it around against Connor Doran and went on to win comfortably 5 and 3, while Tommy Fleetwood, with a good local gallery following his progress, was always in front against Kelan McDonagh, winning 5 and 4.
Jamie Abbott secured his first victory with a final green win over Cian Curley but he was also down in the early stages, but Luke Goddard always seemed in control against Dara Lernihan, winning 3 and 2.
The final green was also the scene for James Robinson and Stiggy Hodgson to claim halves against Niall Kearney and Robert Cannon respectively, while Farren Keenan won on the 16th against Simon Ward.
Scotland are still in with a chance of adding the title to their World and European crowns after overwhelmed Wales 12.5 - 2.5, having taken all five morning foursomes. Their captain Scott Knowles was delighted with his side.
“That must go down as one of our biggest ever wins,” he said. “You always like to come away with a clean sheet in the foursomes but it is never easy. But our boys played to a high standard We are still in with a chance of the title but it isn’t completely in our hands. All we can do is win as many matches as possible and hope that England slip up.”
There was little joy for the Welsh apart from a 4 and 3 win for Oliver Farr over Ross Kellett. Otherwise it was total Tartan supremacy. Gavin Dear and David Law both gave Scotland wins on the 18th green against Luke Thomas and Rhys Enoch respectively, while Wallace Booth beat Adam Runcie 2 and 1.
That sealed the Scots overall victory but there were still wins to come for Steven McEwan, who only lost one hole in beating Rhys Pugh 4 and 3, for James Byrne, who overcame Nigel Edwards 3 and 2, and for Paul O’Hara, who lost the opening hole to Alistair Jones but took the second, fourth and sixth on his way to a 3 and 2 triumph.
However, the Welsh kept battling and Joe Vickery won the 18th to grab a half against James White, while Ben Westgate also had to settle for a half after losing the final hole against Michael Stewart.
In the final match, James Frazer secured another half for Wales after winning the 12th hole against Glenn Campbell to go all-square and battling through the final six holes for a share of the spoils.
In tomorrow’s final matches, England play Wales and Scotland meet Ireland.
For those unable to attend, scoring, championship commentary and news updates are available on the Home Internationals website, http://www.homeinternationals.org/.
RECAP ON THE MORNING FOURSOMES
After their first-day victories, Wales and England were brought back to earth with a bump at Hillside this morning. Scotland claimed all five foursomes against Wales, while England struggled to trail 1-3 with one match halved.
Wales, who beat Ireland on the final green of the final match yesterday, gained some early success, otherwise the Scots were generally in control. In a match that contained nine birdies, Adam Runcie and Ben Westgate were two up for Wales early on against Ross Kellett and James Bryne. But they were pegged back and with three to play the match was all-square.
The Scots got their noses in front for the first time on the 16th and they also won the last to win by two holes.
Scotland bossed Game 2 through Wallace Booth and Michael Stewart who opened with two birdies against Rhys Enoch and Oliver Farr. The Scots remained two up at the turn to be out in 34 to 38.
An eagle 3 at the 11th saw the Scots go further in front and although they lost the 12th to a birdie, Booth and Stewart took the match 4 and 3 with winning pars at the 14th and 15th, the Scots being four under at the finish.
Nigel Edwards and Rhys Pugh for Wales and Scotland’s Gavin Dear and Keir McNicoll were nip-and-tuck over the front nine which concluded with the Scots one ahead. But Wales conceded the 11th then lost the 13th to a bogey-5 to be three down, a margin they failed to close.
Richard Hooper and Alistair Jones for Wales and David Law and James White were separated by only one hole through 13 but the Scots won four holes in a row from the 14th, only one with a birdie, to get home 3 and 2.
In the bottom match, Glenn Campbell and Steven McEwan for Scotland went in front on the fourth hole and gradually increased their advantage over Joe Vickery and James Frazer to complete another 3 and 2 victory, leaving Scotland 5-0 ahead at lunch.
England’s early showing promised a continuation of their day one performance but it was short-lived. Most pairings were below form and the Irish grabbed the nettle to build a useful lead. Matt Haines and Tommy Fleetwood were all-square with Paul Cutler and Alan Dunbar through 16 holes but the Irish took the 17th with a birdie-4 and held on for a narrow win.
In Game 2, Sam Hutsby and Stiggy Hodgson fell behind to Dara Lernihan and Pat Murray on the second hole and were six down at the turn. The English won the next three holes but the Irish won the 14th and the match 4 and 3.
Dale Whitnell and Luke Goddard were never behind against Simon Ward and Niall Kearney and ran out 3 and 2 winners to give England hope. But that was England’s only success as the other two games ‘got away’.
There was little to choose between Ireland’s Connor Doran and Robert Cannon and England’s Jamie Abbott and Farren Keenan but the Irish edged in front with a par at the 13th and held that lead to win by the narrowest of margins.
The bottom match featuring Lancashire locals Matt Nixon and James Robinson for England and Ireland’s Cian Curley and Paul O’Kane, was full of errant play from both pairs but England came to the 17th one up and with a short putt to close out the contest. But it was missed and the Irish took full advantage on the last to snatch a win with a par 4 to grab an unexpected half.
THURSDAY MATCH DETAILS
WALES 2 1/2, SCOTLAND 12 1/2
Foursomes (0-5)
Wales names first
Adam Runice & Ben Westgate lost to Ross Kellett & James Byrne 2 holes.
Rhys Enoch & Oliver Farr lost to Wallace Booth & Michael Stewart 4 and 3.
Nigel Edwards & Rhys Pugh lost to Gavin Dear & Keir McNicoll 3 and 1.
Richard Hoper & Alistair Jones lost to David Law & James White 3 and 1.
Joe Vickery & James Frazer lost to Glenn Campbell & Steven McEwan 3 and 2.
Singles (2 1/2-7 1/2)
Luke Thomas lost to Gavin Dear 1 hole.
Oliver Farr bt Ross Kellett 4 and 3.
Rhys Enoch lost to David Law 1 hole.
Adam Runcie lost to Wallace Booth 2 and 1.
Nigel Edwards lost to James Byrne 3 and 2.
Ben Westgate halved with Michael Stewart.
Joe Vickery halved with James White.
Rhys Pugh lost to Steven McEwan 4 and 3.
Alistair Jones lost to Paul O'Hara 3 and 2.
James Frazer halved with Glenn Campbell.
ENGLAND 9 1/2, IRELAND 5 1/2
Foursomes (1 1/2-3 1/2)
England names first
Matt Haines & Tommy Fleetwood lost to Paul Cutler & Alan Dunbar 1 hole.
Sam Hutsby & Stiggy Hodgson lost to Dara Lernihan & Pat Murray 4 and 3.
Dale Whitnell & Luke Goddard bt Simon Ward & Niall Kearney 3 and 2.
Jamie Abbott & Farren Keenan lost to Connor Doran & Robert Cannon 1 hole.
Matthew Nixon & James Robinson halved with Cian Curley & Paul O'Kane.
Singles (8-2)
Matt Haines bt Pat Murray 2 and 1.
Dale Whitnell lost to Alan Dunbar 1 hole.
Sam Hutsby bt Paul Cutler 2 and 1.
James Robinson halved with Niall Kearney.
Chris Paisley bt Connor Doran 5 and 3.
Jamie Abbott bt Cian Curley 1 hole.
Tommy Fleetwood bt Kelan McDonagh 5 and 4.
Luke Goddard bt Dara Lernihan 3 and 2.
Stiggy Hodgson halved with Robert Cannon.
Farren Keenan bt Simon Ward 3 and 2.
Labels: Amateur Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Thursday, August 27, 2009
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