Ireland take team title in Finland

IRELAND’S GIRL golfers returned home in jubilant mood after winning their European Team Championship in style for the first time over the Kokkola course in Finland.

Now they will look forward with eager anticipation to bidding for the double when they line up in the Home Internationals next month over the Fairhaven links on the Lancashire coast.

Saturday’s achievement was amazing as their victims in the final were Sweden who have the best record in the championship since it began 18 years ago.

Sweden have won the title five times, were looking for a third success on the bounce and appearing in the final for the 11th time and although the 14-year-old twins Lisa and Leona Maguire figured in the Irish line-up the Swedes still started as favourites.

Not only did Ireland win – they overwhelmed their Swedish rivals,sweeping to a 4-1 victory. This followed triumphs over Belgium and England.

But the Swedes battled hard in the afternoon and turned the match into a gripping affair.

In the end it was the hugely-talented 14-year-old Leona Maguire, the current French under-21 champion, who secured the winning point courtesy of a last green victory over Emma Nilsson.

The Slieve Russell star was never down but knew she had been in a match of epic proportions.

She and Nilsson halved the first seven holes before Maguire drew first blood.

Having got her nose infront the former European Young Masters Champion was determined not to surrender as they needed only one point for victory.

A win at the 11th put the Irish teenager two ahead and she appeared home and dry when winning the 13th to go three ahead – but Nilsson retaliated knocking in long putts to capture the 15th and 17th forcing the match down the last.

Maguire kept her cool and played the hole in regulation figures to grab a win and record a two-hole success and the celebrations were then able to begin.

Royal Portrush’s Stephanie Meadow was one down with one to play to Josephine Janson and with the tie settled they agreed to call their match a half – and Lisa Maguire, the Irish champion, was level after 18 holes with Tillstrom so they had no need for extra holes as the title was decided.

Spain took the bronze medal after beating England.