Mixed starts for Ireland in European Team Championships
Marc Boucher (Carton House). Picture by Pat Cashman
Ireland are under pressure to qualify for the top flight after a disappointing opening day performance left them propping up the field in the European Men’s Amateur Team Championship in Spain.
Carton House’s Marc Boucher fired an excellent, level par 71 on the Stadium Course at PGA Catalunya that left him tied 35th, five shots behind Belgian duo Jean de Wouters d’Oplinte and Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Sweden’s Pontus Nyholm and Frances Clément Charmasson.
But Ireland ended the day ranked last on 12-over par in the 13-nation field, 24 shots behind leaders France and 13 shots outside the top eight who will battle for the title after today’s second strokeplay qualifying round.
Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley shot a two-over 73 and Castle’s Robert Moran and Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty a brace of 74s as Kilkenny’s Mark Power signed for a 75 and Malone’s Matthew McClean a discarded 76.
With England, Scotland and Wales opting not to travel, France lead by six strokes on 12-under from the Netherlands with Germany and Sweden five-under, Belgium and Denmark three-under, followed by hosts Spain and Switzerland on one-under-par.
It was a better day for hosts Ireland in the European Ladies' Team Championship at Royal County Down.
They ended the first day in sixth place on 14-over par, 13 shots behind the Czech Republic, who have an eight-shot lead over Scotland with Denmark and England nine strokes behind.
Lahinch’s Aine Donegan shot a two-under 71 to lie tied third individually, three shots behind Scotland’s Hannah Darling with as Kirkistown Castle’s Beth Coulter posted a 74.
“I’m really happy, I’m happy with my short game, you know if you’ve a solid short game and you’re not in the really thick rough then you’ll be fine,’”said Donegan. “You don’t want any shockers and thankfully I kept any doubles or worse off my card today and that was my aim going out there.”
Coulter added: “I was very happy to be out early this morning, there was no wind and there’s a bit of cloud coming in over the mountains there so the afternoon will be tricky.
“You have to be so strategic out on the course and limit the big numbers because all we have to do is qualify, and Flight A would obviously be class but it’s just about one shot at a time.”
Douglas’ Sara Byrne shot 77, Castlewarden’s Lauren Walsh a 78 and Lurgan’s Annabel Wilson a 79 as an 81 by Elm Park’s Anna Foster was discarded.
Based on their finishing position in strokeplay qualifying, the top eight teams from each championship qualify for the medal-contention Flight A bracket tomorrow.
The format for the three remaining competition days is match play as nations go head-to-head with two foursomes matches in the morning and five singles matches in the afternoon.
