Seniors make semis in Denmark and Bulgaria; St John best in Italian Boys
Suzanne Corcoran used her bunker skills to help Ireland make the semi-finals of the European Senior Ladies' Team Championship at BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas Resort in Bulgaria. Picture: Jenny Matthews/Cashman Photography
Ireland's senior teams are two wins away from a famous double in the European Senior Men's and Ladies' Amateur Team Championships that was last achieved in 2013
In the women's event at BlackSeaRama Resort in Bulgaria, Portumna's Suzanne Corcoran got up and down from a deep greenside bunker at the par-three 18th to win the decisive singles one-up and give Ireland a 3-2 win over the Netherlands.
Valerie Hassett's team now face England as Sweden take on Spain while Michael Coote's senior men will meet hosts Denmark in the last four following their 4-1 quarter-final win over Germany at Rungsted Golf Klub, where England will face Scotland in the other semi.
"We started with a good win in the foursome then lost the second and third matches," Valerie reported. "No 4 was Laura [Webb] who had a great battle to get home, 2&1.
"Suzanne was one up playing 17 against a very experienced competitor. A half on 17 meant she was one up playing the 18th, which is an uphill, 188-metre par three with an out of bounds cliff on the right and a vineyard out of bounds on left. Playing into a cross wi, it required a driver from the tee today.
"The Dutch lady [Kristine Ten Doesschate] chipped on to about 15 feet and Suzanne was in an eight-feet deep bunker pin high.
"But she hit a fabulous shot to two feet and when her opponent missed her par, she conceded Suzanne's putt thereby allowing Ireland to win 3-2."
In the men's event Karl Bornemann and Jim Carvill got the ball rolling with a 2&1 foursomes win before singles victories by Peter Sheehan (2&1 ) and John O'Brien (7&5) clinched matters.
European Senior Ladies' Team Championship, BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas Resort, Bulgaria
Quarter-finals: Sweden bt Germany 4-1; Spain bt Belgium 4-1; England bt France 3-2; Ireland bt Netherlands 3-2 (Irish names first) G McMullen & M O'Reilly bt S Dresselhyus & R De Ruijeter 7&5, M McAuliffe lost to N Croockewitt 7&6, A Taylor lost to M Geers 2&1, L Webb bt J Van Tongeren 2&1, S Corcoran bt K Ten Doesschate 1 h.
Today, semi-finals: Sweden v Spain, England v Ireland.
European Senior Men's Team Championship, Rungsted Golf Klub, Denmark
Quarter-finals: Scotland bt Netherlands 3.5-1.5; England bt Sweden 4-1; Denmark bt Spain 5-0; Ireland bt Germany 4-1 (Irish names first) K Bornemann & J Carvill bt E Schieffer & S Sachs 2&1, P Sheehan bt T Krieger 2&1, J O'Brien bt R Goedeke 7&5, S Graham halved with T Fili, A Condren halved with U Schulte.
Today, semi-finals: Scotland v England, Denmark v Ireland.
St John best of the Boys in Italy
At the weather-reduced Italian Boys U16 Championship at Biella, Portmarnock's Brandon St John shared 20th on seven-over 224 after a 74 with Roscommon's Cian O'Connor (74) 26th on 226 and Galway's Luke Cunningham (81) 42nd on 232.
South Africa's Amilkar Bhana shot a five-under 68 and Scotland's Ruben Lindsay a 74 to share first place as the fourth round was cancelled due to the poor weather.
Italian Boys U16 Championship, Biella (Par 73):
1, A Bhana (RSA) 74 73 68 215; 2, R Lindsay (Sco) 72 69 74 215; 3 A Battista (Ita) 75 71 70 216; 4, Y Premlall (RSA) 71 76 70 217; 5, K Thysted (Den) 73 74 70 217.
Irish: 20, B St John (Portmarnock) 79 71 74 224; 26, C O'Connor (Roscommon) 74 78 74 226; 42, L Cunningham (Galway Bay) 78 73 81 232.
