SEVE TROPHY:BRITAIN AND Ireland survived a gritty fightback by Continental Europe yesterday to clinch the Seve Trophy by three points.
Englishman Mark Foster finally ended a season of disappointments by making the decisive point in the penultimate match in the closing day’s singles. His point gave the visiting side their sixth successive win, by 15½ to 12½.
Paul McGinley’s team had threatened a runaway victory when they led by five points overnight, needing three more to prevail. McGinley, though, had warned his team that the hosts – superior to Britain and Ireland in terms of world ranking positions – would not lie down.
Jean Van de Velde’s Europeans, whose only win came in the inaugural 2000 version, refused to go quietly, winning the first five singles before the visitors stemmed the tide.
The continentals’ top man, Thomas Bjorn, with recent back-to-back tour wins to his name and the leader on Europe’s Ryder Cup table, led the hosts’ revival by disposing of world number two Lee Westwood 2 and 1.
Dane Bjorn was behind until the 11th but nosed in front on the 14th and won by dint of a bogey by Westwood on the long 17th.
Italy’s 2010 Ryder Cup player Francesco Molinari then comfortably had the better of the previously unbeaten Jamie Donaldson, coasting home 4 and 3 against the Welshman.
The next to fall for the visitors was another previously unbeaten player, England’s Simon Dyson. Last week’s Dutch Open winner never got on terms with double European PGA champion Anders Hansen and when the Dane matched Dyson’s desperate closing birdie he shaved the match by one hole.
A 4 and 3 victory by Swede Alex Noren, winner of the early June Wales Open over the Celtic Manor 2010 Ryder Cup course, over Englishman Robert Rock, brought Europe to within a point of their visitors. When Miguel-Angel Jimenez defeated British Open champion Darren Clarke 4 and 2, Britain and Ireland’s chances looked to be in trouble. Clarke’s ball found a watery grave on 16 and Europe were on level terms for the first time in the week.
A half by debutants Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium and England’s David Horsey preserved the status quo before Scotland’s Scott Jamieson, a tour rookie, held off Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal, four down after 10, by one hole to nose his side in front.
The 2010 WGC Matchplay champion Ian Poulter birdied on the last to seal a one-hole success against 18-year-old Matteo Manassero, leaving Britain and Ireland needing only half a point.
Foster, who has allowed three strokeplay victory chances to slip through his fingers this season, applied the coup-de-grace by overcoming Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin by a hole.
England’s 2009 World Matchplay champion Ross Fisher and Swede Peter Hanson then shook hands on a half, giving Europe the consolation of a 6-4 singles win.
