Irish Golf Desk

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Ireland look good in Europeans; face Germany in quarters

Gavin Moynihan chats with Graeme McDowell at the Irish Open. Picture: Fran Caffrey www.golffile.ie

Ireland are on track to challenge for the European Amateur Team Championship for the first time since they won back-to-back in 2007 and 2008.

The side captained by Pádraig Hogan will face Germany quarter-finals at Vanajanlinna in Finland after a strong day two showing saw them finish fourth behind England, Spain and Sweden in the qualifying.

The Island's Gavin Moynihan — the world No 15 — led the way, carding an immaculate,  five under 67 to finish tied seventh on six under par, five strokes behind England's Ryan Evans.

England topped the qualifiers by three strokes from Spain with Sweden third, Germany fifth, Scotland sixth, France seventh and Switzerland eighth.

But Ireland's cause was brilliantly aided by Dermot McElroy (69) and Gary Hurley (70) with the ever improving Cormac Sharvin carding a 73 and Jack Hume a 75.

Paul Dunne's 76 was the discarded score but having qualified for The Open just last week, the Greystones star's flair will be a huge asset against the Germans.

Quarter-finals: England v Switzerland, Spain v France, Sweden v Scotland, Ireland v Germany.

There was heartache for the women in the European Ladies Amateur Team Championship in Slovenia as a handful of poor finishes saw them miss out on a place in the top flight, finishing two shots shy of the crucial top-eight in 10th.

They now face The Netherlands and will be looking for more good golf from Skerries' Maria Dunne, who shot 68 in the second round to finish sixth in the qualifying.

There was no luck either for the Girls' or Boys' teams in Slovakia and Norway respectively.

The girls finished 16th in qualifying and now face the Czech Republic in Flight Two while the Boys were 12th and now face Iceland.

July 8-12 European (Men's) Amateur Team Championship, Linna Golf, FINLAND

Team | Individual

Ireland qualified for the top flight in fourth and play Germany

  • T7 Gavin Moynihan 71 67 (-6)
  • T17 Gary Hurley 71 70 (-3)
  • T27 Dermot McElroy 73 69 (-2)
  • T27 Cormac Sharvin 69 73 (-2)
  • T59 Paul Dunne 71 76 (+3)
  • T82 Jack Hume 76 75 (+7)

July 8-12 European Ladies' Team Championship, G&CC Ljubljana , SLOVENIA

Team scores | Individual scores

Ireland 10th and face Netherlands in 2nd Flight

  • T6 Maria Dunne (Skerries) 72 68 (-2)
  • T22 Paula Grant (Lisburn) 73 71 (+3)
  • T31 Olivia Mehaffey (RCD Ladies) 70 75 (+3) 
  • T69 Mary Doyle (The Heath) 74 76 (+8)
  • T69 Jessica Carty (Hollywood) 73 77 (+8)
  • T109 Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) 81 78 (+17)

July 8-12 European Girls' Team Championship, Golf Resort Skalica, SLOVAKIA

Team | Individual

Ireland qualify 16th and face Czech Republic in 2nd Flight

  • T29 Ciara Casey (Hermitage) 75 73 (+4)
  • T48 Chloe Weir (Shandon Park) 78 72 (+6)
  • T65 Mairead Martin (Killarney) 76 76 (+8)
  • T88 Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little) 78 79 (+13)
  • T98 Niamh McSherry (Lurgan) 84 (+12)
  • T110 Niamh Ward (Lurgan) 86 79 (+21)

July 8-12 European Boys' Team Championship, Oslo Golf Club, NORWAY

Team | Individual

Ireland 12th and face Iceland in 2nd Flight

  • T23 Kevin LeBlanc 75 70 (+1)
  • T53 Eoin Leonard 73 76 (+5)
  • T53 Rowan Lester 72 77 (+5)
  • T53 Conor Purcell 74 75 (+5)
  • T78 David Carey 80 72 (+8)
  • 94th Jamie Fletcher 86 82 (+24)