Balmore finish 2nd, only one shot behind European Men's Club Trophy winners in Portugal

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
The Balmore Golf Club, Glasgow trio of Chris Maclean, JamesWilson and Neil McConnochie, Scotland's club champions this year, finished second, only a shot behind the winners, St Germain en Laye (France), in the European Men's Club Trophy championship over 54 holes at at Aroreira Golf Club, near Lisbon, Portugal today (Saturday).

Maclean, pictured, one of the highest-rated players in the field with a handicap of +3.1, tied with Germany's Nicolai Von Dellingshause (handicap +4.1) for first place in the individual standings. Both men finished on eight-under-par 208. 
A team's lowest two individual scores counted each round and Balmore had tallies of 143, 136 and 139 for a total of 14-under-par 418.
St Germain en Laye scored 137, 135 and 145 for 417.
Germany's Hubbelrath finished third on 421.
The winning team each year is allowed to defend the title the following year which explains why France had two teams in the field. Defending champions Racing Club de France finished joint fifth on 431.
England's Hayling Golf Club (442) finished 13th; County Sligo (Ireland) 16th on 447, and Radyr (Wales) finished 19th with a 449 total in a field of 23 teams 
Chris Maclean had rounds of 70, 69 and 69 for 208.
James Wilson, who plays off +1.8, shot gross scores of 78, 67 and 70 to be placed joint 10th on one-under 215. Pity about that first round!
Neil McConnochie, who has a handicap of 1.3, finished tied 26th in the individual standings with rounds of 73, 73 and 76 for 222.
Only his first round was a counting score. 

LEADING TEAM TOTALS
Par 432 (6x72). CSS 71 72 72
417 St German en Laye (France) 137 135 145
418 Balmore (Scotland) 143 136 139.
421 Hubbelrath (Germany) 142 149 139
425 Murhof (Austria) 146 137 142
431 Racing Club de France 143 138 150, Basozabal (Spain) 149 141 141

SELECTED TOTALS
442 Hayling (England) 148 144 150 (13th)
447 Co Sligo (Ireland) 151 145 151 (16th)
449 Radyr (Wales) 148 151 150 (19th).

LEADING INDIVIDUAL TOTALS
par 216 (3x72)
208 C Maclean (Balmore) 70 69 69, N Von Dellingshause (Hubbelrath) 69 70 69.

SELECTED TOTALS
215 J Wilson (Balmore) 78 67 70 (T10)
217 R Harris (Hayling) 71 71 75 (T14)
222 N McConnochie (Balmore) 73 73 76, L Thomas (Radyr) 71 78 73 (T26)
225 K Hickman (Hayling) 77 73 75 (T32)
226 T J Ford (Co Sligo) 75 71 80, R O'Connor (Co Sligo) 76 74 76 (T35)
229 B O'Neill (Radyr) 77 73 79 (T45)
232 D Brady (Co Sligo) 77 80 75 (33rd)
233 M Baird (Radyr) 77 79 77 (54th)
240 T Burden (Hayling) 79 83 78.
Field of 72 players.