Roscommon's Thomas Higgins was the hero as Ireland ended an 18-year wait for victory in the European Amateur Team Championships with a thrilling 4-3 win over hosts Estonia at Estonian Golf & Country Club.
Higgins claimed the decisive point, beating Kevin Christopher Jegers with a dramatic par on the 20th to give the boys in green their first victory in the event since 2008, when Shane Lowry was a member of the team that retained the title in Turin.
Higgins was stunned to win the match after hitting his tee shot at the 20th into water.
But he made a 20-footer for par and watched Jegers lip out from around six feet to extend the match.
"That's unbelievable," Higgins said. "I just can't believe that, especially after hitting the tee shot in the water there.
"To come out on the right side of it this year is great because obviously last year we were close as well and it didn't happen, so yeah, can't believe it, unbelievable."
The sides shared the morning foursomes with Matt McClean and Caolan Rafferty combining to beat Jegers and Markus Varjun 4&3, as Stuart Grehan and John Doyle lost by one hole to Mattias Varjun and Ralf Johan Kivi.
Ireland took control in the singles with reigning Amateur champion Grehan putting the first point on the board with a 5&4 demolition of Richard Teder.
McClean edged Ireland closer to the gold with a 2&1 win over Markus Varjun.
But Carl Hellat beat Gavin Tiernan 2&1 to make it 3-2, and when Mattias Varjun beat Rafferty at the 20th, it fell to Higgins to deliver in the anchor singles, where he prevailed at the second extra hole to give Ireland its seventh victory in the event.
Ireland won for the first time at Royal St George's in 1965 and retained the title in Turin the following year.
Further wins followed at Chantilly in 1983 and Murhof in Austria in 1986 before Lowry and Rory McIlroy played in the side that ended a 21-year wait for the title at Western Gailes in 2007.
McIlroy turned professional later that year, but Lowry returned in 2008 to help Paul Cutler, Niall Kearney, Gareth Shaw, Jonathan Caldwell. And Paul O'Hanlon beat England in the final at Royal Park in Turin.
"It was one of the best feelings ever," said Ireland's no-playing captain, Damien Coyne.
"The lads played really well, Thomas had a chance to win on 18, and a slightly longer putt on 19 as well. He hit his tee shot really, really well on 20, just too far left and in the water.
"Dropped one down, hit it to 20 feet and got to hit his putt for par before Kevin did and holed it; it put the pressure on him straight away. You saw what happened next. It was a massive feeling of joy, just a relief that it was over."
Spain successfully defended their European Ladies' Team Championship title, defeating France 5-2 in the final at PGA National Slieve Russell. Ireland lost 3-2 to Italy, finishing eighth.
Spain won the Boys' title on home soil, defeating England 5.5-1.5. at Montecastillo Barceló Golf Club.
Ireland claimed silver in the Division 2 championship in Greece but earned promotion back to Division 1 despite their 5.5-1.5 defeat to Switzerland.
Spain also won the European Girls' title in Switzerland, defeating England 4-3 in Zurich, while Ireland won Flight B to finish ninth after a 3-2 win over Denmark.
In the Amundi Evian Championship in France, South Korea's Haeran Ryu shot a blistering 11-under 60 — the lowest round in Major championship history — to surge into a three-stroke lead with a round to play.
Just two weeks after winning the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, the25-year-old made nine birdies and an eagle two to lead on 19-under-par from Japan's Aki Iwai, who shot 65.
"I didn't know [about my score]. I just hit, so I didn't know on hole 18, but after the putt I counted my score with my caddie and said, 'Oh my god, it's 11-under-par today," Ryu said." It was so amazing. I'm so happy right now."
Article Link: Ireland ends 18-year wait at European Amateur Team Championship - News - Irish Golf Desk