SCOTS PIPPED BY ENGLAND FOR EURO MEN'S TITLE IN DENMARK

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By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

England beat Scotland 4 1/2-2 1/2 in the final of the European men's amateur team golf championship at Silkeborg Golf Club, Denmark today (Saturday).

It was a tighter match than the scoreline suggests.

The Scots lost the foursomes 2-0 but clawed their way back in the singles with wins by Walker Cup team place contender Graeme Robertson and Scotland boys champion Bradley Neil - a late call-up in place of Grant Forrest who withdrew so that he could get in extra practice for next week's Open - and a halved match by Ewan Scott.
It went down to the wire with Scott Borrowman losing at the 19th to Max Orrin in the decisive final singles match. Borrowman had been three up after 11 holes and was still two up after 15.

SCOTLAND  2 1/2, ENGLAND 4 1/2

Foursomes (0-2)

James Ross and Ewan Scott lost to Neil Raymond and Garrick Porteous 4 and 2.

Graeme Robertson and Jack McDonald lost to Max Orrin and Callum Shinkwin 4 and 2.

Singles (2 1/2-2 1/2)
Robertson bt Shinkwin 1 hole.
McDonald lost to Porteous 3 and 2.
Bradley Neil bt Toby Tree 2 holes.
Scott halved with Nathan Kimsey.
Scott Borrowman lost to Orrin at 19th.

Scotland team who finished eighth in the European boys' team championship at Murcar Links. Picture by courtesy of Kenny Smith.
                                   
France beat Norway 4-3 in the final of the European boys' team championship at Murcar Links. It is the first time France has won the Under-18s' title in 25 years.
A week or two ago, it was a French player who won the Scottish Under-16 boys' open stroke-play title at Portlethen. He was not in the France team at Murcar Links.
Italy beat England 4 1/2 to 2 1/2 to claim the bronze medals.
Scotland completed an disappointing downward spiral in the match-play stages after a fine performance to qualify as the third seeds from the 36-hole stroke-play test at the start of the week.
They lost all three matches, concluding with a poor display in going down 4 1/2 to 1/2 at the hands of Sweden and so finishing last of eight in the top flight.
Would it have made a big difference if Bradley Neil and Ewan Scott had been playing for the Under-18 team instead of the men's team in Denmark? Who can tell but if you take your best two players out of any team, it is bound to weaken it.

SCOTLAND 1/2, SWEDEN 4 1/2
Foursome:
Ewen Ferguson and Ben Kinsley lost to adam Blomme and Fredrik Nilhen 1 hole.
Singles:
Calum Hill lost to Marcus Kinhuilt 4 and 3
Euan Walker lost to Hampus Nilsson 6 and 4.
Robert MacIntyre halved with Tobias Eden
Connor Syme lost to Jesper Olsson 3 and 1.

OTHER MURCAR LINKS RESULTS
France 4, Norway 3
England 2 1/2, Italy 4 1/2
Ireland 3, Denmark 2.

MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION

England Edge Thriller Against Scotland 

to Win Euro Men's Team Title

  By ED HODGE, PR and Media Executive, SGU

Scotland’s bid to claim the European Men’s Amateur Team Championship for the first time in four years came up agonisingly short, as England won an epic ‘Auld Enemy’ battle in Denmark.

After a superb week at Silkeborg GC, the home club of Ryder Cup stalwart Thomas Bjorn, the Scots were just unable to cross the winning line – losing 4.5-2.5 after a closely-fought, tense contest that went right to the wire.

“There was nothing in it at the end and the guys should be so proud,” said Ian Rae, Scotland’s National Coach. “England had five players from the top-34 in the world in their team and we didn’t have anybody here in the top 100. The whole team contributed for us this week and there are so many positives.”

Having finished fifth in stroke play qualifying at the 16-team event, the Scots held their nerve to defeat Germany and then France, the top qualifiers, in tight quarter-final and semi-final matches.

A final showdown with England, boasting Amateur champion Garrick Porteous among their six-player number, certainly got the juices flowing – but the action began badly from a Scottish perspective.

Ewan Scott (St Andrews) and James Ross (Royal Burgess) lost the first six holes in the opening foursomes tie to Porteous and St Andrews Links winner Neil Raymond. Despite a mini-Scots fightback, the English duo held on for a 4 and 2 win.

Minutes later Max Orrin and Nathan Kimsey wrapped up the same margin of victory, ending the winning five-match foursomes run of Glenbervie’s Graeme Robertson and last year’s Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year, Jack McDonald of Kilmarnock Barassie.

“England played awesome in the foursomes, Porteous and Raymond were five-under-par for the first nine holes,” noted Rae.

Two-nil down ahead of the five singles ties in the afternoon, the Scots faced an uphill task but they simply refuse to throw in the towel. Indeed, going into the closing four holes, three games were all square with each country holding slender one-up leads in the other two matches.

Robertson, who won all six points in Scotland’s Home Internationals win last year, again impressed to defeat Callum Shinkwin by a hole. After five wins in six match play games in Denmark, Robertson has further enhanced his Walker Cup selection claims for the match at The National Golf Links of America, Southampton, New York in September.

Porteous saw off McDonald 2 and 1, but Scottish Boys champion Bradley Neil recorded his third singles win of the week in defeating Toby Tree by two holes.

It was 3-2 England, with the final two games incredibly going to extra holes – after Scott Borrowman, the hero against Germany, lost a two-hole advantage with four to play against Orrin.

It was Orrin, currently ranked eighth in the world, who saw England home with victory at the 19^th, meaning Scott and Kimsey picked up their balls for a half each in the game ahead.

Still, it proved a fine week for the Scots as a whole – especially after Blairgowrie’s Neil, still only 17, was a late call-up following Grant Forrest’s withdrawal to focus on preparing for his Open debut at Muirfield on Thursday. Like Neil, Scott is still a National Boys Squad player. 

“It was a great effort to get to the final,” concluded Rae. “We beat Germany and France and beating England was always going to be a tall order. I’ve been with our teams at these events for a number of years and it would have been one of the best wins we had ever achieved, as it would have been slightly unexpected.”

 

 Click here for final scores from the European Men’s Amateur Team Championship

SGU MEDIA RELEASE   France Secure Euro Boys Title For First Time in 25 Years   By ED HODGE, SGU PR and Media Executive France were this evening crowned European Boys’ Team champions for the first time in 25 years after a thrilling comeback to beat  Norway at Murcar Links. After a superb five days’ golf in the North-east, the French came  through a brilliant match to emulate their 1988 success – ironically also in Scotland, when they beat the home nation in the final at  Renfrew Golf Club. “I’m so pleased for two reasons,” said French Boys’ captain Francois Dubrule after the 4-3 win. “Firstly, because it has taken us 25 years to win, so it’s a nice anniversary. In fact, one of our  players, Paul Elissalde said to me this morning that his player  number was 25 so that was an omen. “Secondly, I was not selected in 1988 and my friends were calling  me at night after they had won. I was so happy for them. “I took over the captaincy two years ago and, at that time, I said we would be ready for Scotland in 2013. We finished fifth last year and  third in 2011, so we’ve been getting closer. I captain extremely  well-prepared talented golfers.” France, whose players warmed up for the fast-running links test at Murcar Links by playing the likes of St Andrews and Royal St George’s in recent weeks, found themselves two-nil down at lunch as  Norway – conquerors of Scotland and England – again thrived. However, on a breezy, cool day at the seaside, the French warmed to  their task in the afternoon and Nicolas Manifacier, Pierre Mazier,  Joris Etlin and Romain Langasque all claimed singles victories for a  storming fightback. Meanwhile, Scotland finished the 16-team event eighth overall after   suffering another loss on the final day, going down 4.5-0.5 to Sweden. Having qualified in third place from the 36 holes of individual stroke  play on Wednesday, hopes were high among the Scots for the match  play stage. However, after surrendering a 2-0 lunchtime lead to lose 4-3 to  Norway on Thursday, the Scots were beaten by Ireland and then  the Swedes. Glencruitten’s Robert MacIntyre, the Golf Data Lab Scottish Youths  champion, was the only Scot to avoid defeat today. “We made a good start, but we just didn’t get going in the match play,”  said Tantallon’s Calum Hill, one of the Scots’ best performers during the  event. “I’m not too sure why, but maybe we were just outplayed. “You also need a little luck around this golf course and maybe we  didn’t get it at times. At the start of the week, we thought we could win the  event – we certainly felt good enough. “It’s my final time playing in the European Boys so it’s a shame to end like  this.” >> Click here for final scores from the European Boys’ Team Championship