GB & Ireland come up short

Shell-shocked skipper Nigel Edwards believes Great Britain and Ireland’s budding professionals need to improve their short games after late collapses allowed the Continent of Europe to claim the St Andrews Trophy in enemy territory for the first time.

The biennial clash between the ‘Home Nations’ and the cream of continental golf began in 1956 and the while the scoreline reads 24-5 to GB&I, the tide is turning slowly following a second successive victory for Europe.

Continental skipper Alexis Godillot, who played in the side that lost 20-10 to GB&I at Portmarnock in 1968, was “very happy and a bit surprised” to become the first to triumph on British or Irish territory following his side’s 12½ to 11½ points win at Portmarnock on Saturday.