SCOTLAND'S MEN QUALIFY - BUT ENGLAND MISS OUT IN EUROPE

BRILLIANT SIX-UNDER 66 BY MICHAEL

STEWART SPEARHEADS REVIVAL

By  COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Of the four Scotland amateur squads competing in the European team championships this week at four different venues, only the men’s team figured among the eight qualifiers for the championship match-play flight.

A brilliant round of six-under-par 66 – 10 shots better than his Tuesday effort – by Scottish champion and Walker Cup team contender Michael Stewart spearheaded a fine team effort by the Scots over the Vilamoura Victoria course on Portugal’s Algarve.

Michael, who had an eagle and six birdies, was backed up by three other sub-par performances by James Byrne (69), Ross Kellett (70) and David Law (71).

Greg Paterson, who had a non-counting 77 in the first qualifying round, improved to a counting 73.

Ironically, the Scots’ non-counting round was a 77 by Kris Nicol who had led the way with a 68 on Tuesday.

Scotland improved their daily team total from 359 to 349 and easily made the championship flight with 12-under-par 708.

Technically, that was the joint fourth best total, achieved also by Finland, Switzerland and Ireland. The tie-breaking card comparison decreed that Scotland were the seventh qualifiers and as such they play second seeded Germany in the first round of the match-play.

Spain were top qualifiers with 696 (24 under par), ahead of Germany and France.

Big shock of the day was the failure of England, a team packed with Walker Cup team candidates, to make the top eight. They cannot win the title now, having finished niuth with 716, three more than the last of the championship flight qualifiers, Sweden on 713.

England’s last-day scorers were Stiggy Hodgson 69, Jack Senior 71, Darren Wright 74, Steven Brown 74, Andy Sullivan 75, Dave Coupland 75.

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT QUALIFIERS

696 Spain 1

700 Germany 2

702 France 3

708 Finland 4, Switzerland 5, Ireland 6, Scotland 7.

713 Sweden 8.

Selected non-qualifiers:

716 England 9th
730 Wales 16th

MATCH-PLAY QUARTER-FINALS

Spain v Sweden
Finland v Switzerland
France v Ireland
Germany v Scotland.

SCOTLAND BOYS JUST MISS OUT IN PRAGUE

Scotland’s boys failed narrowly in the European boys' championship at Prague in the Czech Republic.
Their individual scores were:
Grant Forrest 70, Greg Marchank 70, Eamon Bradley 72, Ewan Scott 73, Anthony Blaney 74, Jack McDonald 78.
Their team total of 723 put them in joint ninth position, only one shot more than the seventh and eighth top-flight qualifiers Ireland and France.
England missed out in 15th place with 735.