European Nations Cup, day 4

England managed to capture a double today at Sotogrande when the European Nations Cup concluded. David Basham, England’s Team Manager on site reported early that the boys met a different golf course on the final day. A very strong wind came from totally the opposite direction from what had been the case all week. This was reflected in the scores and when Sam Hutsby still managed to shoot 71 it took him all the way to a tie for the lead. Sam took advantage of his strong finish and after the play off the trophy went England’s way. The leading individual scores for the tournament were:

POS	Nombre	HCP	HPJ	1	2	3	4	TOT
1	HUTSBY, SAM	-4,2	-4	69	69	65	71	274
	PIGEM XAMMAR, CARLOS	-2,6	-2	67	65	67	75	274
3	KALEKA, ALEXANDRE	-3,2	-3	68	69	71	71	279
4	LOPEZ-LAZARO, JOHANN	-2,1	-1	69	69	69	73	280
5	SAMOOS, KALLE	-3,7	-3	70	70	68	73	281
6	LOWRY, SHANE	-4,3	-4	68	71	72	71	282
7	MANASSERO, MATTEO	-4,0	-4	71	70	67	75	283
8	SERRES, OLIVIER	-2,8	-2	70	73	70	72	285
	BACHER, HANS-PETER	-3,5	-3	72	70	71	72	285
	KEARNEY, NIALL	-3,4	-3	68	72	70	75	285
	FORD, CHARLIE	-3,3	-3	69	71	69	76	285
	GODDARD, LUKE	-4,3	-4	68	68	72	77	285
13	BERTASIO, NINO	-4,0	-4	75	69	71	71	286
	FRAZER, JAMES	-2,2	-2	73	71	69	73	286
	SARASTI BERNARAS, JUAN FRANCISCO	-2,4	-2	69	71	71	75	286
	CAPPELEN, SEBASTIAN	-2,4	-2	69	70	70	77	286
17	WHITNEILL, DALE	-4,3	-4	70	68	73	76	287
18	GAD, PONTUS	-2,0	-1	72	73	73	71	289
	ORIOL SANCHEZ-BLANCO, PEDRO	-2,2	-2	73	73	69	74	289
20	MCEWAN, STEVEN	-3,6	-3	69	75	70	76	290
21	LARSSON, ANDERS	-2,0	-1	73	71	74	73	291
	ROTH, JACOB	-1,7	-1	70	73	73	75	291
23	WESTGATE, BENJAMIN	-2,5	-2	76	75	68	73	292
	KRISTIANSEN, ANDERS	-5,3	-5	71	75	68	78	292
25	PULKKANEN, TAPIO	-1,5	-1	78	71	73	71	293
	MCNICOLL, KEIR	-5,6	-6	73	73	70	77	293
27	ENOCH, BENJAMIN	-2,3	-2	72	77	71	74	294
	JUSTRA BJERREGAARD, LUCAS	-2,8	-2	74	73	73	74	294

Full individual scores are available by clicking here. 

In the Team Event it was England all the way and when everything was over England had captured the title four shots clear of France who finished with a strong final day to overtake third placed Spain. Full team scores are available here.

European Nations Cup Day 3

England continue to shine at Sotogrande and after a sizzling 65 from Sam Hutsby the England Team are now 11 shots clear of Spain in second place. In the individual event Spain’s Carlos Pigem Xammar still holds the lead, now 4 shots ahead of Hutsby. Leading individual scorers are:

POS	Nombre	HCP	HPJ	1	2	3	4	TOT
1	PIGEM XAMMAR, CARLOS	-2,6	-2	67	65	67		199
2	HUTSBY, SAM	-4,2	-4	69	69	65		203
3	LOPEZ-LAZARO, JOHANN	-2,1	-1	69	69	69		207
4	MANASSERO, MATTEO	-4,0	-4	71	70	67		208
	SAMOOS, KALLE	-3,7	-3	70	70	68		208
	KALEKA, ALEXANDRE	-3,2	-3	68	69	71		208
	GODDARD, LUKE	-4,3	-4	68	68	72		208
8	FORD, CHARLIE	-3,3	-3	69	71	69		209
	CAPPELEN, SEBASTIAN	-2,4	-2	69	70	70		209
10	KEARNEY, NIALL	-3,4	-3	68	72	70		210
11	SARASTI BERNARAS, JUAN FRANCISCO	-2,4	-2	69	71	71		211
	LOWRY, SHANE	-4,3	-4	68	71	72		211
	WHITNEILL, DALE	-4,3	-4	70	68	73		211
14	FRAZER, JAMES	-2,2	-2	73	71	69		213
	SERRES, OLIVIER	-2,8	-2	70	73	70		213
	BACHER, HANS-PETER	-3,5	-3	72	70	71		213
17	KRISTIANSEN, ANDERS	-5,3	-5	71	75	68		214
	MCEWAN, STEVEN	-3,6	-3	69	75	70		214
19	ORIOL SANCHEZ-BLANCO, PEDRO	-2,2	-2	73	73	69		215
	BERTASIO, NINO	-4,0	-4	75	69	71		215

Full individual results are available by clicking here and team results here.

European Nations Cup day 2

England have followed up the good first day with a one stroke better 205 for the second day. Luke Goddard shot a second 68 and is in second place individually. Leading individual scores are as below: 

POS	Nombre	HCP	1	2	3	4	TOT
1	PIGEM XAMMAR, CARLOS	-2,6	67	65			132
2	GODDARD, LUKE	-4,3	68	68			136
3	KALEKA, ALEXANDRE	-3,2	68	69			137
4	WHITNEILL, DALE	-4,3	70	68			138
	HUTSBY, SAM	-4,2	69	69			138
	LOPEZ-LAZARO, JOHANN	-2,1	69	69			138
7	CAPPELEN, SEBASTIAN	-2,4	69	70			139
	LOWRY, SHANE	-4,3	68	71			139
9	SAMOOS, KALLE	-3,7	70	70			140
	FORD, CHARLIE	-3,3	69	71			140
	SARASTI BERNARAS, JUAN FRANCISCO	-2,4	69	71			140
	KEARNEY, NIALL	-3,4	68	72			140
13	MANASSERO, MATTEO	-4,0	71	70			141
14	BACHER, HANS-PETER	-3,5	72	70			142
15	SERRES, OLIVIER	-2,8	70	73			143
	ROTH, JACOB	-1,7	70	73			143
17	BERTASIO, NINO	-4,0	75	69			144
	ROEHRING, MAX	-3,1	75	69			144
	NIELSEN, KRISTIAN	-2,0	74	70			144
	LARSSON, ANDERS	-2,0	73	71			144
	FRAZER, JAMES	-2,2	73	71			144
	BAKKER, TEEMU	-2,7	71	73			144
	MCEWAN, STEVEN	-3,6	69	75			144
24	CURLEY, CIAN	-2,5	74	71			145
	NEMECZ, LUCAS	-2,3	72	73			145
	GAD, PONTUS	-2,0	72	73			145
27	STABEN, BENEDICT	-2,5	76	70			146
	NORDQVIST, MATTIAS	-1,2	75	71			146

A full update on individual scores is available by clicking here. England have increased their lead in the team event and are now seven shots clear of France in second place. Full team scores are available here.

European Nations Cup

England has had a good start to the European Nations Cup at Sotogrande. Three out of four scores each round are to be counted over the four days. With three English players firing in the 60’s on the first day Dale Whitnell’s 70 could be discarded.  First round scores in the team event:

1.- England 206
2.- France 207
3.- Spain 209

Full team results are available here.

Individually the leading scorers from day one were:

1.- CARLOS PIGEM (ESP) 67
2.- LUKE GODDARD (ENG) 68
+.- SHANE LOWRY (IRL) 68
+.- ALEXANDRE KALEKA (FRA) 68
+.- NIALL KEARNEY (IRL) 68

Full individual results are available here.

England win International Match

England won the friendly international match against Spain at La Reserva Golf Club having captured another 6.5 points today against Spain’s 5.5. With the 7-5 from yesterday England finshed on 13.5 to Spain’s 10.5. The only player to win all his four points was last year’s Lytham Trophy’s champion, Matt Haines. Also Charlie Ford went through the weekend undefeated capturing 3.5 points for England.

England Captain Colin Edwards who made his debut in the role at La Reserva commented:

“I am extremely proud to get a win in Spain and captaining my country for the first time was an awesome experience. Roll on Conway!” (n.b Conway is where the European Team Championships are held this year).

It was a difficult day in the wind at La Reserva and England Coach, David Ridley said after the match:

“The old knockdown shot we need to learn! Christy O’Connor in his hay day would have shown us how to play these shots.”

England vs Spain, final results

England vs Spain, day 1

Halfway through the friendly international match between England and Spain at La Reserva Golf Club in Sotogrande, Spain, England has taken the lead 7-5 going into Sunday’s final 36 holes. It was a day when a cool breeze kept the windcheaters on and one could say that the state of some of the matches varied with the wind. Having made the 9 hole turn in the morning foursomes up in all four matches England allowed the Spanish team to come back and take one of the points as the team of Hutsby/Whitnell lost their match. Both Hutsby and Whitnell came back strong in the afternoon singles though with comfortable wins early to try and lead their fellow teammates. With Haines and Ford following in their footsteps and the other four matches turning to Spain the afternoon was tied in a half. Charlie Ford and Matt Haines both captured two points by winning their respective two matches. For full results of day one click here.

Tomorrow’s final day will begin with foursomes at 09.00 local Spanish time. Sunday foursomes:

Sam Hutsby/Dale Whitnell – Juan Fco. Sarasti/Carlos Pigem

Charlie Ford/Todd Adcock – Pedro Erice/Borja Virto

Tommy Fleetwood/Matt Haines – Pedro Oriol/Antonio Hortal

Luke Goddard/Eddie Pepperell – Moises Cobo/Sebastian Garcia R.

England vs Spain

This weekend it is time for the first test of the season for the England Team. At La Reserva Golf Club in Sotogrande, Spain, England will take on Spain for foursomes in the morning and singles in the afternoon, played over both days Saturday and Sunday, hoping to repeat the success from two years ago when England won at Royal Ashdown Forest. The England players for the match are:

Jamie Abbott
Todd Adcock
Tommy Fleetwood
Charlie Ford
Luke Goddard
Matt Haines
Sam Hutsby
Eddie Pepperell
Dale Whitnell

Stephen Burnett usually provides the yardage book for the England Team and even though this won’t be anything like the one the players will be using you might be interested to find out what the course is like. Do so by following the advice from Santiago Luna here.

England Coaching Experience

A piece of history is being written this week at Woodhall Spa. 11 players (one had to pull out due to an injury at the last minute) of varying age and ability are enjoying the first ever England Coaching Experience. For two and a half days they get to see what it is like to be an England player and enjoy (or is it endure?) the same programme as the England Squad would normally be subject to. England Coaches Gary Smith and David Ridley together with England physio Andy Larmour and England Psychologist Brian Hemmings are due to have their hands full with a group of players who I would guess is not quite as used to the 14 hour days packed with physical activity.

This first England Coaching Experience is meant to pilot whether this is something that is worth doing on a more regular basis. The aim is obviously to bring some funding into the rest of the English Coaching Programme but also to provide something like a “what money can’t buy”, at least not on the regular market, to golfers that are just very keen to become better golfers. There are plenty of golf schools out there but there is only one place you can go to get England Coaching!

The fact that this first pilot sold out in a heartbeat suggests that this is something we should do again. So stay tuned for your chance to explore England Coaching…

A bit of sharing and learning

I was in Finland today to speak to a group of about 200 golf club managers, golf course owners, course superintendents and golf professionals (isn’t that a really strange word by the way? I would have thought all these people are golf professionals as they earn their living in golf and yet the only one referred to as a golf professional is the PGA member). It is in a way amasing the opportunities that some of the smaller countries have when it comes to gathering the right group of people in one place. You would need something like the O2 Arena to hold this group in England but perhaps that is what should be done. No doubt something happens when you get these people in one room. Among these people is where the future of golf in any country is created.

The topic of this conference was the expected ones; How do we in golf meet the challenges of the future? When most news are about falling membership and decreasing revenue it was incredibly refreshing to listen to the Michelin star restaurant chef turned golf facility CEO Henk-Jan De Boer from Burggolf in Holland. Burggolf own and operate nine golf courses around Holland and they do it in some way. The order in which the restaurants and the revenue from food and beverage has been transformed by a true professional of that business I would say is in a league of its own. Yes, Holland is area-wise a small country and it is fairly easy to control and operate these nine clubs. There is also a lot of people per square mile and it may help that golf clubs in Holland today are just about the only place where you can find a free parking place outside a good restaurant. That is what I call playing to your strengths!

Good to have him back?

On my way to Finland where I am due to speak at the Finnish Federation’s Annual General Meeting I, as usual, pick up a copy of the Daily Telegraph. After the 15+ pages of football there is a small piece about the World Golf Championships at Doral this week. Mark Reason writes about how Tiger is back to dominate and he also comments on the latest Nike add that is featuring Tiger’s comeback. The add (see below) is basically about how the guys on tour are enjoying it when Tiger is not there and when he steps in the locker room their smiles go away. Reason questions what these players are thinking about doing a commercial like this that so explicitly highlights another competitor’s superiority. Of course this is only a commercial but it could just as well be true. I have seen it myself on the driving range at the Deutsche Bank Championship a few years ago. Tiger walked on the range and everybody stopped. That is being a few shots ahead even before the tournament has started!

 I have to admit though, nobody can play Carl Pettersson like Carl Pettersson!