MEN'S HOME INTERNATIONALS: Ireland suffered heartache in a dramatic climax at Glasgow Gailes on the Ayrshire coast last night as their title disappeared in the dying moments of the round-robin series. They needed to avoid defeat by England to make sure of the Raymond Trophy and as the teams entered the closing stages the Irish had their noses in front but suddenly fortunes swung and they slumped to a 9½-5½ defeat.
But even that could have been good enough if Wales had been able to push Scotland to the wire but they also went down by a 9½-5½ margin so it was decided on a countback with three countries all on two wins.
Scotland became champions for the first time since 2006 with 27 points over the three days, two more than Ireland who took runners-up spot. England were third and Wales took the wooden spoon.
“We are heartbroken. It was our title virtually everywhere except the winning post. The boys gave everything they had but it was just not to be. We could not deliver where it mattered,”said Irish captain Pádraig Hogan.
Ireland started well enough and actually led 3-2 after the foursomes but the top of the singles order was a nightmare as Chris Selfridge, Amateur champion Alan Dunbar and Kevin Phelan all lost and further down there was disappointment for Gary Hurley and Dermot McElroy.
Mourne’s Reeve Whitson who enjoyed a great week and Gavin Moynihan, the success story of the season, emphasised their class by winning and Belvoir Park’s Harry Diamond claimed a solid half.
North of Ireland champion Rory McNamara looked likely to beat Jordan Smith for much of the way but in the end slipped to agonising defeat.
BRITISH BOYS' AMATEUR OPEN: Ireland's hopes of having their first British Boys' champion since Ronan Rafferty more than three decades ago were dashed yesterday when Jordan Hood was knocked out in the third round at the Notts Club in the East Midlands. But the 17-year-old from Galgorm Castle was still delighted with the way the week had gone. "This was my first year and my real goal was to qualify. Everything else was a bonus so I am really pleased with the week," said Hood.
He appeared on course to move into the last 16 when three up after just four holes on Welsh Boys champion Henry James and was still three ahead after eight.
There was then a change of fortune as James won 9 and 10 to reduce the deficit to one and eventually squared at 15.
Then after a couple of halves they went to the last hole – and Hood failed to make par, missing an eight-foot putt to take the match into sudden-death.
BRITISH GIRLS' AMATEUR OPEN: Dorset's Georgia Hall became only the third Home Nations player to win the British Girls' Championship this century following in the footsteps of Clare Queen and Henrietta Brockway when she overwhelmed Spaniard Clara Baena 6 and 5 in the final at Tenby in West Wales.
US TOUR:Jimmy Walker shot a second-round 62 to surge into the lead of the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. Walker, who opened with a 66, enjoyed a bogey-free eight-under-par round as he moved to 12 under and into a one-shot lead from US Open champion Webb Simpson, who shot a round of 63 yesterday.
