Images: Getty Images/ The R&A
Text: The R&A
The Continent of Europe has won the 2023 Vagliano Trophy match at Royal Dornoch Golf Club. The European side came out on top during a wet and windy final day in Scotland to win 13.5-10-5.
“I’m so happy,” Urchegui Garcia said after Germany’s Helen Briem earned the winning point, taking her side to the required 12 ½ points with a 2&1 singles victory over Caley McGinty.
“I feel very proud of the players. This was a very tough match to play and I want to congratulate GB& I captain Maria Dunne on her team because they played great golf.”
GB&I won the morning foursomes 2 ½ – 1 ½ to level the contest at eight points apiece with eight singles left to play.
Strong winds and driving rain should have favoured the home side on a traditional links, but the excellent play of the Continent of Europe team dashed the hopes of the hosts.
Two of the first three singles sessions went GB&I’s way with England’s Lottie Woad defeating Savannah de Bock of Belgium 2&1 and Aine Donegan’s beating world number one Ingrid Lindblad by the same score after a half in the lead match between Ireland’s Beth Coulter and Rocio Tejedo of Spain.
Those were the only GB&I singles’ wins before the bottom five players in Urchegui Garcia’s order reeled off victories.
The win is the eighth consecutive in the biennial match for the European side, who have extended a winning run which dates back to 2007.
“My team was very nervous after losing the morning foursomes but they were determined to go out and fight and they did,” Urchegui Garcia added.
“I didn’t have to say anything to them at lunchtime to try to inspire them. They were doing that on their own. They were cheering each other on because there was such a spirit in my team. They all played for each other and inspired each other to this victory.”
GB&I captain Dunne took heart from winning the morning foursomes, hoping her team would kick to victory.
“I’m gutted for my players,” GB&I captain Maria Dunne said. “We gave it our all. I asked them to fight for every point. They did and I couldn’t really have asked for anything more from them."
“They fought hard to level the match after this morning’s foursomes but we just came up short. On another day the result would have gone our way but we can do ourselves proud because it was so close"
Briem was one of three players on the Continent of Europe team to record three points out of four along with Spain’s Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio and Meja Ortengren of Sweden. Only Woad on the GB&I team managed that feat.
Consolation in Junior Vagliano
There was a modicum of consolation for GB&I in that the Junior Vagliano Trophy finished level on nine points apiece.
However, with the Continent of Europe holding the trophy it meant they hold on to it for the eighth straight time since the inaugural 2011 match.
“It says a lot about the strength of junior golf on the Continent of Europe,” said Continent of Europe captain Myrte Eikenaar, who was skippering the junior team for the third straight occasion. “It says a lot about the girls that we’ve kept the trophy. They’re not just great golfers but they bring a lot of energy to the team, and it’s great that in a few days they can become so tightknit and fight for each other.
“It’s good to see that GB&I keeps drawing closer. Every year it gets tighter and that’s good for the match. I’d love to have gotten the win because it always feels better, but it’s great to retain the trophy and I’m proud of the girls.”
Irish pair Costello and Dillon deserve special mention. They earned three and a half points each out of a possible four. Costello and Dillon will be looking to graduate to the senior team in two years’ time, hoping to help a GB&I team finally get that elusive win.
Germany’s Sofia Maier-Borst and Italy's Ginevra Coppa were the top points earners for the Continent of Europe. Both players contributed three points to the team.
