2016 European Team Championships - Semi-finals
On Friday, 8th July, 2016, the semi-finals of the European Team Championships have simultaneously taken place at five different venues across Europe. Spectators could follow exciting matches and see golf played at its highest amateur level.
At the European Amateur Team Championship at Golf de Chantilly in France, Sweden and Scotland advanced to the finals, which are played on Saturday, 9th July, 2016. Sweden defeated Denmark 4.5-2.5 with a great comeback after two lost morning foursome matches. Scotland came out on top of the second semi-final against Italy. France defeated Norway 4-1, whereas Ireland beat Spain 3.5-1.5.
The final in Division 2 will be played between Iceland and Wales, who beat Slovenia and the Czech Republic in the semi-finals 6-1 and 4.5-2.5 respectively.
Last year’s winning team at the European Boys’ Team Championship, Germany, retained their opportunity to defend the title and will face France in the final tomorrow. Denmark and Italy contend for the bronze medal. Owing to a great performance, three wins, in the singles the French made up for two lost matches in the morning and defeat Italy 4.5-2.5. Sweden also turned around the final result against Scotland finishing 4-3. Yesterday’s quarter-finals saw a historic result, when Slovenia beat Team England 3.5-1.5 for the first time in history.
In Iceland, the final of the European Ladies’ Amateur Team Championship will be played between Spain and England. The semi-finals have been exciting until the last putt, when England turned around a 2-point deficit from the morning foursomes to advance to the final. The match for 3rd place will be Germany vs. Switzerland.
The European Ladies’ Amateur Team Championship already saw three hole-in-ones, the first was achieved by Signý Arnórsdóttir of Iceland during the second stroke play round on hole 13, the second and third by Ainhoa Olarra (ESP) and Matilda Castren (FIN) on the 4th hole on day 1 of match play. Olarra and Castren played against each other in the foursomes in the morning, when the Spanish scored the ace. Castren, inspired by her opponent, followed up with an ace on the same hole just a few hours later with Olarra watching this time as her singles opponent.
Sweden will be the only nation seeing two of its teams playing in finals tomorrow. At the European Girls’ Team Championship in Norway, the Swedish girls will face Italy. The Italians shattered France with a 6-1 win and Spain could not make up for the 2-point deficit from the morning foursomes against Sweden. As in the ladies’ championship, England was able to respond quickly to the two lost foursome points. Great singles’ results will see them up against Norway in the race for fifth and sixth place. In flight B Slovakia could defeat favourite Germany 3-2.
Follow the livescoring of the final round on the event pages.