ENGLAND MISS NATIONS TITLE BY A STROKE
 Despite
a spirited final round, their best of the week, England had
to settle for a share of second place in the men’s European
Nations Cup at Sotogrande in Spain.
With three scores from four to count on each of the four
days, England finished on 864 alongside Ireland but a stroke
behind winners Denmark, who carried off the Greygoose Cup,
formerly the Sherry Cup.
England also came up short in the individual competition,
Gary Wolstenholme (pictured left - photo courtesy of Tom Ward)
finishing third on 286 after a closing 69, but five shots
behind Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Marius Thorp from
Norway, McIlroy coming out of top in a sudden death playoff.
Paul Waring finished tied sixth on 289, Matthew Cryer equal
14th on 293, and Ed Richardson on 198 in equal 33rd.
England were slow into their stride, finishing day one in
fifth place on 217, three shots behind the Danes. Day two
proved no better with a 221 return for 438 leaving them nine
strokes adrift of new leaders Ireland. However, they made
up ground in round three to share second place on 652 with
Portugal and Denmark, just three strokes behind the Irish.
On the final day, Wolstenholme’s 69 allied to 71 from
Waring and 72 by Richardson was beaten only by hosts Spain,
who finished seventh, and the Danes, who came up on the rails
to pip both England and Ireland.
Nations Cup
863 Denmark: P Drost (75) 76 73 67; P Baunsoe 68 (80) 68 (77);
R Nielsen 73 71 (75) 74; N Rasmussen 73 77 73 70
864 Ireland: R McIlroy 69 70 70 72; S Ward 71 73 (76) 73;
S Lowry (76) 72 75 70; N Kearney 74 (77) 75 (74)
864 England: G Wolstenholme 71 74 (72) 69; E Richardson (81)
74 71 72; P Waring 74 73 71 71; M Cryer 72 (74) 72 (76)
870 Norway
871 Portugal, Wales
872 Sweden
876 Spain
883 Finland, Germany, Scotland
891 Austria
896 Holland
898 Italy
901 Belgium
910 Slovenia
Individual
281 R McIlroy (Ireland) 69 70 70 72
281 M Thorp (Norway) 69 69 70 73
286 G Wolstenholme (England) 71 74 72 69
287 N Edwards (Wales) 73 71 72 71
288 X Fayaerts (Belgium) 69 72 72 75
Other English scores:
289 P Waring 74 73 71 71
293 M Cryer 72 74 72 75
298 E Richardson 81 74 71 72
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