GERMANY BEAT ITALY IN FINAL

Scotland, beaten 4-1 by France, are

placed sixth in Euro senior championship

Scotland finished sixth in the European senior women's amateur team championship at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club, south of Dublin in Co Wicklow.
They lost 4-1 to France in the play-off for fifth place.
England beat Spain 4-1 in the play-off for the bronze medals.
Last of the eight match-play qualifiers, Germany proved once again what we all know - match-play and stroke--play are two completely different forms of golf. The Germans were moderate over 36 holes of stroke-play but brilliant over three days of match-play to win the gold medals.
They beat another set of underdogs, seventh qualifiers, Italy 3-2 in an exciting final.
Germany lost the second and fifth singles early on, but a win in the foursomes on the 18th rallied the remaining ties still on the course. Hero of the day was former Senior British women's amateur champion Chris Utermarck who came from behind to hit the final green in regulation and clinch Germany’s first victory at this level.
Ireland, the No 1 seeds, suffered a third matchplay defeat in as many days to finish eighth of eight.
They lost the seventh place-play-off, 3-2 to Sweden, after looking like breaking their match-play duck at the final attempt.
Valerie Hassett and Violet McBride led the charge with a win on the home green and Sheena McElroy added a 5 and 4 victory to surge Ireland into a 2-0 lead.
Anna Donnerstad and Birgitta Ljung replied with levelling victories for Sweden, leaving the remaining match between Phil O’Gorman and Eva Lindberg as the deciding tie.
Unluckily for Ireland, the Swede holed from 25 feet to birdie the last and closed out the match with a par on the 19th after O’Gorman found trouble off the tee.
In the second flight, Belgium claimed 9th place with a convincing win over Switzerland while the Netherlands beat Finland to finish 11th. Austria defeated Denmark in the final fixture to finish 13th.
More information on the 2009 European Senior Ladies’ Team Championship is available at www.ilgu.ie.

RESULTS

Championship Final
Germany 3, Italy 2
Foursome (1-0)
Karin Gumpert & Nicolle Eicke-Huth bt Allessandra Zoboli & Francois Colmant 1 hole.
Singles (2-2)
Tessa Oldenbourg lost to Marina Buscaini 5 and 4.
Cornelia Schmidt-Stuetzle bt Francesca Christillin 4 and 3.
Chreis Utermarck bt Clotilde Fasolis Costa 1 hole.
Edeltraud Jacob lost to Guenda Preti Moavero 4 and 3.

Third place play-off
ENGLAND 4, SPAIN 1
Foursome (1-0)
Christine Stirling & Lucy Newton bt Pia Allende & Ana Vileila 1 hole.
Singles (3-1)
Chris Quinn bt Christina Marsans 4 and 3.
Janet Melville bt Catalina Castiliejo 3 and 2.
Jo Ashmore halved with Marta Estany.
Sue Dye halved with Vicky Pertierra.

Fifth place play-off
SCOTLAND 1, FRANCE 4
Foursome (0-1).
Heather Anderson (Alyth) & Fiona Hunter (Baberton) lost to Helene Dutertre 2 and 1.
Singles (1-3)
Mary Smith (Tain) lost to Virginie Burrus 4 and 3.
Fiona De Vries (St Rule) lost to Anita Remoleur 1 hole.
Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) bt Cecilia Mourgue d'Algue 2 and 1.
Moira Thomson (Gullane Ladies) lost to Marie Jose Ibarlosa 3 and 1.

Seventh place play-off
IRELAND 2, SWEDEN 3
Foursome (1-0)
Violet McBride & Valerie Hassett bt Anki Hermansson & Christina Birke 1 hole.
Singles (1-3)
Olivia Conroy lost to Viveca Hoff 5 and 4.
Helen Jones lost to Anna Donnestad 2 and 1.
Phil O'Gorman lost to Eva Lindberg at 19th.
Sheena McElroy bt Birgitta Ljung 5 and 4.

Other results:
9th place - Belgium 4 1/2, Switzerland 1 1/2.
11th place - Netherlands 4, Finland 1.
13th place - Austria 3, Denmark 2.
15th place - Slovenia.