Ireland produce incredible fightback against England to win 19th Home Internationals
Team Ireland win the 2021 R&A Mens Home Internationals at Hankley Common. From left to right - TJ Ford (Co. Sligo), Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin), Niall MacSweeney (Athenry/Manager), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk), Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little), John Carroll (Bandon/Captain), Liam Nolan (Galway) at front, Alex Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown), Robert Moran (Castle), Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas), Matt McClean (Malone), Marc Boucher (Carton House), Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire). Picture (© Golffile | David Lloyd)
Ireland produced an incredible singles comeback to tie 7.5-7.5 with England and claim the men’s Home Internationals for the fifth time in seven editions at Hankley Common in Surrey.
Skippered for the last time by Bandon’s John Carroll, the boys in green were the only nation to win their first two matches but a 19th title looked unlikely when the hosts battered them 4-1 in the morning foursomes.
Castle’s Robert Moran was a rock for the team and he led by example as as he came back from two down with three to play and made 10 birdies to halve with reigning English Amateur champion John Gough in an incredible match.
Gough was six-under-par on the front nine but after finding himself one down to Moran, he won four of the next six holes (losing one) before the Castle man birdied the 16th and 17th to snatch a half as both men went round in seven-under 64.
With Caolan Rafferty hammering this year’s Amateur champion Laird Shepherd 8&7 in the anchor match and wins for Hugh Foley, TJ Ford, Jack McDonnell and Matt McClean, it all came down to debutant Liam Nolan.
England’s Callan Barrow had a 10-foot birdie putt on the final green to halve their match and give Scotland the title but it slid past the hole to send the 11 Irish players into rapture.
“I honestly wasn’t nervous all day,” Carroll said after Ireland won the singles session 6½-3½ in his swansong as captain. “Even when we lost the foursomes this morning I still had hope in the boys.
“It was a disappointing morning, but we saw Scotland beat England 8-2 in singles yesterday and that gave us hope. We knew we could come back and the boys were absolutely brilliant this afternoon.”
He added: “It’s a nice way for me to get out. I’m teetotal, but the boys will have a few pints and rightly so because they deserve it. They’ve been fabulous today and all week. They’ve done Ireland proud.”
All 11 members of the team claimed points over the three days with Moran the top scorer with five out of six.
“It’s the best match I’ve ever played in,” Moran said of his epic match with Gough. “John is a really good friend of mine and for us to halve the match with those scores and that standard is bizarre. Neither of us deserved to lose, so it was a fair half that I was just glad to get to help the team.”
Scottish playing captain Matt Clark said: “The Irish have just done what was pretty much unthinkable at lunchtime. They were 4-1 down and to turn England over 6½-3½ in the singles was tremendous because England were hurting after we beat them and they came out fighting.
“So, for Ireland to turn the tables shows great character. They are a great set of boys, with good management. You have to say fair play and tip your hat to them.”
On the European Tour, Niall Kearney produced another hot back nine to remain in contention for his maiden win in the Dutch Open.
The Royal Dublin man (33) came home in three-under 33 to add a 69 to his opening 65 to trail leader Kristoffer Broberg by just two shots on 10-under at Bernardus Golf.
The Swede shaved a stroke off Kearney's day-old course record, firing nine birdies in an eight-under 64 to lead by a shot from Belgian Thomas Detry and Dane Marcus Helligkilde.
"This year has been good, the game feels strong, and I am looking forward to getting out there and giving myself a chance over the weekend," Kearney said.
Graeme McDowell made seven birdies in a 66 to lie just five shots off the pace in his first start for nine weeks.
"I drove the ball much better today," McDowell said. "After a couple of months on the couch, I'm obviously very pleased with a lot of the things I am doing."
Mallow's James Sugrue birdied his last two holes to make the cut in a European Tour event for the first time as a professional.
"I've been playing pretty well all year and just getting nothing out of it," Sugrue said after making a 20 footer at the 17th and an eight-footer at the last for a 67 to make it with a shot to spare on three-under.
"The putter has been ice cold and today I just holed out pretty well. That putt on 17 was the longest I held all day by some distance."
Cormac Sharvin also birdied the last to make the two-under cut on the mark after a 69, but Gavin Moynihan's 74 saw him miss by four shots with Paul Dunne two shots further back after an adventurous 72.
On the Challenge Tour, Austria's Lukas Nemecz posted back-to-back 65's to take a three-stroke lead into the weekend at the Hopps Open de Provence.
Robin Dawson was the best of the Irish, nine shots off the pace on five-under after a 70 with John Murphy a shot further back after a 71.
On the PGA Tour, Maverick McNealy chipped in for eagle at his final hole to shoot 64 and lead the Fortinet Championship by two shots in the clubhouse from Beau Hossler on 10-under.
Home Internationals 2021, Hankley Common, Surrey
Ireland 7.5-7.5 England
Foursomes
Robert Moran & Alex Maguire halved with Jack Dyer & Arron Edwards-Hill
Peter O’Keeffe & Matt McClean lost to Olly Huggins & John Gough 1 hole
Marc Boucher & Liam Nolan lost to Sam Bairstow & Haider Hussain 6&5
TJ Ford & Caolan Rafferty halved with Jack Bigham & Josh Hill
Hugh Foley & Alan Fahy lost to Zachary Chegwidden & Laird Shepherd 2&1
Singles:
Robert Moran halved with John Gough
Alex Maguire lost to Jack Dyer 2 holes
Hugh Foley bt Sam Bairstow 1 hole
Peter O’Keeffe lost to Olly Huggins 7&5
TJ Ford bt Haider Hussain 3&1
Liam Nolan bt Callan Barrow 1 hole
Jack McDonnell bt Josh Hill 3&2
Alan Fahy lost to Jack Bigham 3&1
Matt McClean bt Zachary Chegwidden 6&5
Caolan Rafferty bt Laird Shepherd 8&7
Scotland 11, Wales 4
Table
IRELAND P3 W2 H1 L 0 (27-18) 2.5 pts
SCOTLAND 3 2 0 1 (27.5-17.5) 2 pts
ENGLAND 3 1 1 1 (23- 22) 1.5 pts
WALES 3 0 0 3 (12.5-32.5) 0 pts