Fleetwood is denied Euro glory in final

Jul 24 2007 by Richard Williamson, Liverpool Daily Post

SOUTHPORT golfer Tommy Fleetwood was part of the England team that fell at the final hurdle in their bid to become European champions when they lost to hosts Denmark in the final at Rold Skov Golf Club.

Having earned their final spot with a 5-2 victory over the Netherlands in the semi-final and a 4½-2½ win over France in the last eight, England went down 4½-2½ to the Danes in a dramatic and exciting final.

England had lost the opening foursomes and looked to be heading for defeat in the second match too with the hosts lying dormie on the 17th tee. But a Danish bogey and a superb birdie by Matt Haines and Fleetwood on the last sent the match into extra holes – and plenty of them.

The teams halved the next five holes where the English boys holed some amazing putts to stay alive.

However, England then secured the important point with a par to level the match when the Danes found trouble off the tee on the par-five sixth hole.

Denmark edged ahead in the afternoon singles with Fleetwood’s match going to the 18th before he succumbed to Nicolai Aagaard.

Fleetwood will now turn his attentions to the Carris Trophy, which starts today.

Adam Carson, the newly crowned English under-16s champion, will attempt to make it a double with the under-18s title at Saunton Golf Club in north Devon (July 24-26).

The 15-year-old from Bristol won a curtailed McGregor Trophy at Southport & Ainsdale with a 54-hole total of 218, five strokes ahead of his nearest rivals.

But he will face strong opposition from a field containing most of the England U18s squad – including Formby Hall player Fleetwood – as well as many accomplished players from Europe and further afield.

Candidates along with Fleetwood to lift the trophy includes Lancashire’s Matthew Nixon, the British Boys champion, and McEvoy Trophy winner Matt Haines from Kent. Tom Lewis, 16, from Hertfordshire, finished tied second at Southport and Ainsdale.

The international flavour to the event will be provided by players from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, the United States and a large contingent from Spain.

For the first time this year a Nations Cup will take place over the opening two rounds with the best two scores from three in each round to count.

England will field two teams, the A team comprising Matt Haines, Andrew Johnston from Middlesex and Matthew Nixon while the B team will be made up of Fleetwood and Surrey’s Gary King and Henry Smart.

The other teams likely to be taking part are Finland, Germany, Italy, South Africa and Spain.

The field of 132, which will be reduced to the leading 45 and ties after 36 holes, possess a handicap of one or better.

Previous winners of the Carris include Sandy Lyle, Peter Baker, Ken Brown and Justin Rose.

MATTHEW Baldwin finished sixth at the Russian Open Amateur Championship, an event won by England colleague Chris Wood.

It was the second successive win for an English player after Seve Benson in 2006.

Ward finished three under par at Le Meridien Moscow Country Club to take the title by seven strokes from Russia’s Androv Pavlov.

English players filled three of the next five places. Dale Whitnell from Essex was third on seven-over-par 295, Hampshire’s Sam Hutsby joint fourth a shot further back, while Royal Birkdale player Baldwin returned 297 for sixth spot. He had rounds of 74 74 79 70.