ENGLAND JUST MANAGE TO HOLD ON TO WIN

MEN'S NATIONS CUP AT SOTOGRANDE 

 Terry Casey (left) and Graham Walker (right) are pictured with the England players, from left: Nick Marsh (Huddersfield,),  Ben  Stow (Rushmore), Ashley Chesters (Hawkstone Park), Paul Howard (Southport and Ainsdale)

England's quartet of Ashley Chester, Ben Stow, Nick Marsh and Paul Howard followed in Scotland's footsteps as the winners of the Nations Cup's men's team title at Sotogrande on the Costa del Sol today.
But it was much closer finish than had seemed possible when England led by five strokes at halfway an even by four with 18 holes to play.
In the end hosts Spain chased them over the winning line, metaphorically, finishing only a shot behind England who als.
Ireland, whose Jack Hume tied for third place in the individual standings behind the runaway Spanish winner, did well to finish fourth, seven shots behind England.
England's top scorers were Chesters and Stow, joint sixth. 
The Scottish Golf Union decided not to enter a team of four to defend the title they won last year when the tournament was staged at a later date and the top Scotland squad had returning from warm weather training in South Africa.
This year, because of different dates, the cream of the Scots crop are still in South Africa.England's last Nations Cup win was in March 2013
FINAL MEN'S TEAM TOTALS
1st ENGLAND 897
2nd SPAIN 898
3rd FRANCE 902
4th IRELAND 904
5th NETHERLANDS 910
6th ITALY 915
7th NORWAY 918
8th SWEDEN 928
9th DENMARK 930
10th AUSTRIA 936
11th SWITZERLAND 940
T12th CZECH REPUBLIC 945
T12th GERMANY 945
14th PORTUGAL 948
15th BELGIUM 959
16th SLOVENIA 1009

LEADING MEN'S INDIVIDUAL TOTALS 
par 288 (4x72)
1st 287 Mario Galiano (Spain) 74 70 71 72
2nd 295 Robbie Van West (Netherlands) 78 70 69 78
3rd 297 Marcus Kinhult (Sweden) 75 74 73 74 
T4th 298 Langasque Romain (France) 79 73 72 74, Jack Hume (Ireland) 75 76 71 76

SELECTED TOTALS
T6 299 Ashley Chesters (England) 76 74 75 74, Ben Stow (England) 79 72 73 75
T11 303 Gavin Moynihan (Ireland) 75 79 76 73, Nick Marsh (England) 80 72 74 77
T21 308 Paul Howard (England) 77 76 79 76 
T25 310 Gary Hurley (Ireland) 78 78 81 73
T35 313 Colm Campbell (Ireland) 79 84 74 76
 

+Spain won the women's Nations Cup with Wales a creditable fourth after languishing near the bottom of the 10-team table. Chloe Williams from Wrexham finished third in the women's individual standings. All the women's team totals and leading scores are on www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk