SILVER FOR ENGLAND
England won the silver medal at the European Men's Team Championships
in Holland on Saturday. Appearing in their 13th final at the
Royal Hague Golf Club, England lost 5-2 to Spain who lifted
the title for the second time.
The English team Richard Finch (Hull), Ross Fisher (Wentworth),
Jon Lupton (Middlesbrough), Richard Walker (Frodsham), Oliver
Wilson (Coxmoor) and Gary Wolstenholme (Kilworth Spring) struggled
to find their top form throughout the week. They just made
the top flight by their skin of their teeth in the 36 hole
qualification stages finishing in 7th spot.
They defeated Norway, 2nd in qualification, in the quarter
finals 4½-2½. Then in the semi-final they made
a remarkable comeback to beat a strong French side 4-3. Oliver
Wilson was the hero two down with three to play, he mad an
eagle three at the par 5 finishing hole to square his match
against Jean -Baptiste Gonnet. He then birdied the par 5 1st
hole in extra time to take England through into the final
to meet Spain who beat Sweden 4-3.
England shared the foursomes 1-1 thanks to Wilson and Wolstenholme
making birdies at the 16th & 17th to win their match 2&1
against Pablo Martin and Alejandro Canizares. In the afternoon
singles England could not match the strong Spanish play and
eventually went down 5-2 with only Oliver Wilson winning his
singles match against the highly talent youngster Pablo Martin.
England will now have to wait two years before they can attempt
to secure the European title which has eluded them for the
past 12 years. They will have a home advantage in 2005 as
the event is being staged at Hillside Golf Club on the Lancashire
coast.
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