European Team round-up: Pride at stake now after painful defeats to England
Dermot McElroy pictured earlier in the week. Picture: Golf.se
European Amateur Team Championship — The initial reaction is to wonder if we can really hope to get four, five or six players on the Walker Cup team after falling to England in the quarter-finals of the European Amateur Team Championship in Sweden.
But when the pain of defeat fades and they take on holders Spain today, Ireland's six-man team will realise that not only are they still the talented bunch that's impressed everyone this year, they also have huge amount of pride to play for at Halmstad Golf Club on Friday.
Leading 2-0 after foursomes wins for Gavin Moynihan and Jack Hume over Jimmy Mullen and Ashely Chesters at the 20th and for Cormac Sharvin and Dermot McElroy over Sean Towndrow and Ashton Turner, things looked good for the bookies' favourites.
But after a promising start it quickly became apparent that England meant business. Sharvin fell 4 and 3 to Ben Taylor, Paul Dunne lost to Mullen on the 20th and Gary Hurley succumbed 2 and 1 to Chesters.
Moynihan's match was also close but he eventually fell, by one hole, to Turner, leaving the in form Jack Hume to claim Ireland's solitary half point from the five afternoon matches.
A 4.5-2.5 defeat was not something Ireland expected but they weren't the only team to suffer as Spain fell by the same margin to Scotland, who now meet England's in Friday's semi-finals.
At the top of the draw, leading qualifiers Germany lost 4-3 to hosts Sweden, who now face Denmark, who completed a day of shocks with a 4-3 win over France.
European Amateur Team Championship scoring — Ireland v England
European Ladies' Team Championship
Ireland bravely qualified for Flight A but then fell 4-3 to England in the quarter-finals at Helsingør Golf Club in Denmark with Jessica Carty going down on the 22nd to Charlotte Thomas in the decisive match.
Like the men, Ireland had won both foursomes thanks to Leona Maguire and Olivia Mehaffey and Maria Dunne and Carty. But the singles did not go Ireland's way and while Leona won on the 19th to five Ireland hope, Carty had no luck in her match with Thomas.
The English girl holed a 40 foot putt to take the match to the 21st and won on the next to set up a semi-final match with Switzerland, who beat Sweden 4.5 - 2.5.
In the other semi-final France, who were 6-1 winners over Germany, will take on favourites Spain, who were 4-3 winner over Denmark.
Overall scoring
European Girls' Team Championship
Force to concede the foursomes due to illness, Ireland suffered in their Flight B match at Golf Resort Kaskada Brno in the Czech Republic, losing 5-0 to Finland. Ireland now take on Scotland on Friday.
