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.

“It was a great battle today to come back and win the foursomes, after being two points behind,” Godillot said. “Then in the singles, either team could have won, it was so close and for once we had a bit more luck than the British and Irish, especially coming down the final few singles matches.”

British amateur champion Alan Dunbar — who lost his four matches — was one up with two to play but racked up double bogey sixes at the last two holes to lose to Robert Karlsson.

Then Rhys Pugh, the recent winner of the European Amateur at Carton House, squandered a three up lead with four to play toallow Spaniard Jacobo Pastor to snatch acrucial half.

Suddenly, the Continent could halve the final singles and retain the St Andrews Trophy but they went one better when German Moritz Lampert birdied the 17th to beat Waterford Castle’s Kevin Phelan 2&1.

Skipper Edwards, who must now wait to see how many of his players remain amateur for next year’s Walker Cup defence, believes several of them need to make sure they work harder on their short games.

“If two of your best players finish like that, you are notgoing to win, simple as that,” he said. “When I left the 15th tee, Rhys was three up with four to play, Alan was one up with two to play.

“They need to ask themselves certain questions if they are going to turn pro... you need to have a great short game at whatever level you play, whether it is the Open championship or your monthly medal.”

The Continental under 18 side also claimed the Jacque Leglise Trophy 10.5-13.5, hammering a GB&I side featuring the Island’s Gavin Moynihan and Castle’s Alex Gleeson 4-0 in the foursomes before running out easy winners by 13.5 points to 10.5.