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Irish Examiner
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Ireland amateurs fall short in European bronze medal match
Ireland battled hard but were defeated by England in the bronze medal match at the European Amateur Team Championship in Killarney Golf & Fishing Club. While at the same time Italy were crowned champions after a phenomenal 6-1 victory over Denmark in the final played in sweltering heat. Ireland did secure a precious bronze at the European Girls' Team Championship, with a fantastic 4-3 comeback win against Germany in Slaley Hall, however it wasn't to be for the men. Ireland came so close to booking their place in an historic home final, when they lost to a rejuvenated Denmark side on Friday afternoon, and having lost the morning foursomes 2-0 to England, it looked set to be another tough result. But the hosts piled on the pressure in the afternoon with Stuart Grehan winning his match 5&3 against Daniel Hayes before Matt McClean finished off Eliot Baker on a 6&5 scoreline. England looked in trouble but they came roaring back and Tyler Weaver defeated Thomas Higgins by 1 hole. John Doyle continued his stunning week with a 19th hole win over Luke Poulter but Charlie Forster's brilliant pitch on the 19th hole of his tie with Caolan Rafferty, sealed Ireland's fate. Meanwhile, the Italians had a comprehensive victory over the Danes with former professional, and team coach Alberto Benaghi, thrilled to see his passionate side come out on top. 'It's almost indescribable. We are very, very proud of what we did, especially when we play in Ireland with such a history in golf. To win on this course and to win in such style, because we really played great yesterday against England and very, very good today,' said Benaghi. 'Today we were really unstoppable so I am very proud of my team. We really enjoyed every single moment. 'The foursomes this morning gave us a lot of strength. After 2-0 you have the responsibility of winning so you can feel the pressure but we played so good that we were very convinced that we could do the job. 'Sport has to be like this, you have to have passion, obviously when you win you celebrate more but you have to live sport like that, something that is coming from the heart.' Italy laid the platform for a dominant afternoon when Giovanni Binaghi and Biagio Andrea Gagliardi teamed up for an impressive 5&4 win. The other morning foursomes match also went the way of the Italians with Filippo Ponzano and Michele Ferrero accounting for their opponents on a 3&2 scoreline. The Danes were still dangerous, having bounced back from a 2-0 deficit against Ireland on Friday to secure their place in the final, but they couldn't replicate those heroics. Instead, Italy pressed on and Riccardo Fantinelli won the top match 2&1. Two more points followed from Ferrero and Ponzano and Italy were crowned champions of Europe. Elsewhere in Flight A, Sweden beat Finland 3-2 and France got the better of Germany 4.5 to 0.5. Switzerland won Flight B, while there were also wins for Poland, Iceland and Czech Republic.
Irish Examiner
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Irish amateurs suffer heartbreak in Killarney
Ireland suffered a dramatic and heartbreaking defeat in the semi-finals of the European Amateur Team Championship at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club. Having not featured in the final since 2014, the Irish had taken a 2-0 lead after the morning foursomes but their Danish counterparts bounced back in the singles. Despite another brilliant point from John Doyle (Fota Island), Ireland came out on the wrong side of an agonising 4-3 scoreline, with Kristian Hjort Bressum draining the winning putt on the 20th hole of his match against Thomas Higgins (Roscommon). 'Brilliant all week, very proud of them, very proud of the performance. They gave it a real go today,' said Ireland Captain Damien Coyne. 'We got off to a great start and gave ourselves every opportunity. We just got done by some really, really good golf on behalf of the Danish guys, and especially in Thomas' match, to finish with four straight birdies. He had six really good putts in the last six holes of the match, which is very impressive. 'I'm sure it'll sting this one, for an hour or so, but once we've mentioned that we're playing England in the morning, the lads will have no difficulty in getting themselves up for that, and we'll be ready to go again, and it's just try our best to get something out of the week and get a medal would be really, really good.' Stuart Grehan (County Louth) and Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) secured the first point of the morning foursomes with a 3&1 win over Mads Heller and Mads Viemose Larsen. Doyle's 35-foot putt on 18 wrapped up a 2-hole win for him and Matt McClean (Malone) over Hjort Bressum and Oscar Valdemar Holm Bredkjaer. Doyle sealed another precious point in the afternoon singles but the Danes came roaring back, with Heller and Holm Bredkjaer winning their matches against Grehan and Gavin Tiernan (County Louth) respectively. Andreas Trym Dam Fogth defeated McClean and then Hjort Bressum got the better of Higgins when he rolled in his putt on the 20th hole. 'It was a really tough match. The Irish guys are a really good team and we are sorry to beat them on home soil. They were really strong in the morning, in the foursomes, they won the two first matches,' said Denmark Captain, Peter Jespersen. 'After the foursomes they (Denmark) were not too happy. They thought it would be a really tough afternoon but we had to remember we only played for two points in the morning out of seven, so we still had five points out in the afternoon. 'It was important we got some points in the beginning because of course we were underdogs after the morning so it was really important that we got two points fairly quick but still it was the last match on hole 20, that made the difference.' The win earns Denmark their place in the decider alongside Italy, who shocked England in the other semi-final in Flight A. The morning foursomes were halved before Italy took control in the singles with Riccardo Fantinelli, Giovanni Binaghi, Biagio Andrea Gagliardi and Filippo Ponzano all winning their matches. That was enough for a big 5.5 to 1.5 win for the Italians. Ireland will face now England for the bronze medal.
Irish Examiner
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Ireland move into Euro semi-final after emphatic win in Killarney
Ireland will go in search of their first final appearance at the European Amateur Team Championship since 2014 after Stuart Grehan secured the all-important third point of the singles on Thursday to take a 5-2 victory over defending champions Sweden in Killarney. There was double joy too for Ireland, as the Girls' team have also made it through to the semi-finals of their European Girls' Team Championship in Slaley Hall, defeating England by the same scoreline. They face Italy in Friday's semi-final. In the Men's competition, the sides shared the spoils in the morning foursomes as Grehan and Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) defeated Simon Hovdal and Daniel Svard on the 18th hole with Grehan holing the winning birdie, before Alfons Bondesson and Jakob Melin secured a 2&1 victory over Matt McClean and John Doyle. The first point of the singles would go the way of Matt McClean as he brushed aside the disappointment of the morning defeat in some style. The Malone golfer carding four birdies across his back nine to take control and win his match on the 14th hole, 5&4. Having sat out the morning foursomes, Amateur Championship runner up, Gavin Tiernan would quickly tag on Ireland's second point, coming from two behind to take a 2up lead on the 15th hole before sealing victory on the 16th as Sweden's Melin conceded the hole and put Ireland just one point away from victory. While points one and two had come from the second and third matches of the afternoon, it would be match one where the decider would be won. Grehan, who has led his team out all week, would find himself one down after six holes but fought back, taking wins on the 7th and 10th to turn the deficit around but only briefly as Hovdal immediately answered back, taking the eleventh hole before the Tullamore native once again took control with wins on 14 and 16 handing Grehan a 2up lead going down the 17th. From there Grehan would go on to close out the win for the Irish team much to the delight of team captain Damien Coyne. 'Really good performance all day and especially this afternoon. Really strong performance so delighted and looking forward to tomorrow already. A really good performance against a really strong team,' said Coyne. 'Hopefully we'll get through tomorrow and build up for a really exciting day on Saturday here then, hopefully we'll get a few supporters around the place, and it will be a fun day.' With The Open Championship teeing up in Royal Portrush next week the six strong Irish team will hope to channel the memories of 2008 and 2007, when two former Open champions, Shane Lowry (2008 & 2007) and Rory McIlroy (2007) were a part of the victorious Irish team on those occasions. Ireland now face Denmark, who came through a titanic battle with Germany on Thursday afternoon. The Danes won on the 21st hole in match three to book their place in the semi-final. On the other end of the draw, England continued their impressive form with a 6-1 victory over Finland before Italy came through 4.5-2.5 against France. In the ladies event in Chantilly, Ireland suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat to Sweden.
Irish Independent
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Kerry football team masseur recalls caddying at 1975 European Amateur Team Championship in Killarney
Harry O'Neill and Michael Coghlan caddied at their local club 50 years ago, and have fond memories of when the European Amateur Team Championship came to Kerry, as it does again this week Kerryman Harry O'Neill has two main roles this week: a ball spotter in Killarney Golf & Fishing Club and as masseur to the Kerry football team at Croke Park. Golf and Gaelic football have forever been intertwined throughout the course of O'Neill's life and this week will be a little more extraordinary. Related topics Kerry GAA
Irish Examiner
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
England take charge at European Amateur Team Championship in Killarney
England took the opening round lead at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club as the 11-time champions began their quest for another European Amateur Team Championship with an impressive -20 total. Charlie Forster was the star performer as the Basingstoke golfer carded a superb 65 in the Kerry sunshine. Hosts Ireland also got off to a solid start as Damien Coyne's men opened with an -11 total to take a share of third place, with Thomas Higgins (Roscommon) the best of the Irish carding a -4 round of 68. Stuart Grehan (Co Louth) was given the honour of leading out the Irish team on Tuesday morning as he teed up alongside 2024 Gold Medal winning Swedish golfer Albert Hansson. The Flogas Irish Men's Amateur Open Champion got the Irish off to a solid start with a 71, to lay a marker down for the rest of the team. Dundalk golfer, Caolan Rafferty kept that strong start going as he carded a 72 before debutant John Doyle (Fota Island) battled through some early round nerves to sign for an impressive -3 round of 69. With Ireland climbing the leaderboard, Amateur Championship runner-up, Gavin Tiernan (Co Louth) added to the tally with a 71, before the experienced Matt McClean (Malone) finished with a -2. It would be Higgins though who would take the bragging rights among the team as a single bogey on the first was quickly corrected, with the Clemson University star carding five birdies in an excellent finish. 'Played pretty solid,' said Higgins. 'Didn't start off great, bogey on one and then played pretty flawless from there on in. Didn't make a bogey from there so I was happy with my game and played well and held a few crucial par putts that were good momentum savers.' Iceland are searching for their first ever win at this event and they began in ideal fashion too as they will take second place overnight. Three of their players, Sveinsson (-5), Heidarsson (-5) and Sigurbrandsson (-4) played their way inside the individual top ten, helping hand their team a -13 opening day start. With 18 holes of stroke play remaining before match play takes over on Thursday morning the race is on for each country to take one of the coveted top eight spots, and with England taking the early advantage, Forster and his team are confident of another strong showing tomorrow. 'We have a really good team, all six players, it's quite nice. I'm sure we are going to be hunting more birdies tomorrow,' said Forster. 'Hopefully we can have another solid day tomorrow and show what we have got in the Match Play. I think we have got a really good team out there this year, so we'll see what happens.'
