European Golf Association photo
Great Britain & Ireland have won the 2022 St Andrews Trophy, defeating the Continent of Europe side at Penati Golf Resort in Slovakia.
GB&I started the day with a four-point lead, having dominated the afternoon singles session on Day 1 by a score of 6-2.
The morning foursomes session was closely-contested, with all four matches going down 17 or further.
The Continent of Europe claimed the first point of the day with a 2&1 win from Swedish pair, Adam Wallin and David Lundgren. The victory didn't ignite a European comeback, however, with the visitors up in all three of the following matches.
Sam Bairstow and Matt McClean defeated Daniel Da Costa Rodrigues and Pietro Bovari with a 1-up win in the following match, taking GB&I's point tally to nine.
Mark Power and Barclay Brown won their match by two holes over German duo, Anton Alber and Laurenz Schiergen, while Arron Edwards-Hill and Calum Scott secured a third point of the session for the away side.
The match looked virtually decided by lunch, with the scoreboard reading 11-5 heading into the final session. GB&I needed just two points from the nine afternoon singles to get their hands on the St Andrews Trophy for the first time in six years.
The visitors carried the momentum from the foursomes straight into the singles, going up early in six of the nine matches on the course.
The first singles match between John Gough (ENG) and Martin Couvra (FRA) went the distance. The French player recovered from a losing position to claim a half-point for his team, which seemed to spark a European resurgence.
Around the turn, the next three matches on-course shifted in favor of the hosts. Pietro Bovari (ITA) reduced the deficit to five points with a victory for the Continent on the 16th green over Ireland's Matt McClean.
Sweden's David Lundgren then added an additional point for his side with a 2-up victory against England's Sam Bairstow.
Daniel Da Costa Rodrigues (POR) won his match on 18 against Barclay Brown, claiming a third singles point out of four for the Continent of Europe.
The GB&I team responded with 6&5 in the 5th singles match from Mark Power, bringing the score to 12.5 - 8.5 and taking GB&I within just a half-point of securing victory.
Despite being up in two of the remaining matches on the course, the European fight back wouldn't quite be enough. Scotland's Calum Scott closed out his match with Maximilian Steinlechner (AUT) 4&3 to secure the decisive 13th point for GB&I.
Anton Albers (GER), who won five holes on the back-nine to turn his match around, and Luis Masaveu (ESP), added two more points for the Continent of Europe.
The final match on the course between Arron Edwards-Hill and Laurenz Schiergen was all-square heading down the 18th. The former clinched the ultimate point for the winners, taking the final score to 14.5 - 10.5.
ABOUT THE
St. Andrews Trophy
A biennial men's team competition between
Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe
played during non Walker Cup years. The nine
player teams compete over two days in
foursomes and single matches.
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