Higgins helps Ireland to victory

WATERVILLE’S David Higgins played a huge role in Ireland ‘s runaway victory in the European International Team Championships in Greece last week.

The team of Higgins, Delgany’s Mark Staunton, and Simon Thornton from Tulfarris, represented the Irish PGA in the event and won by a whopping 16 shots from second-placed Scotland.

Played at the Costa Navarino Golf Club in southern Greece, the event over four rounds, is confined to three-man teams representing the PGA’s of twenty-one European countries with the best two cards from three counting each day as the team score.

An opening three under par 68 from Higgins with a 73 from Thornton (Staunton had a 77), saw Ireland five strokes behind the leaders Scotland and tied for second on one under par with the Netherlands after the opening round on Wednesday last.

However, a best of the day score of 66 from Thornton added to a 70 from Higgins (Staunton had a 73) saw Ireland overtake Scotland by two shots at the half-way stage on the leader-board on Thursday while two 69s from Staunton and Higgins (Thornton had a 70) in Friday’s third round saw Ireland’s lead stretched to six over Scotland with one round to play.

In Saturday’s final round Staunton fired a superb seven under par 64 and added to Thornton’s 70 it was enough to see Ireland finish nineteen under par and win by sixteen shots.

A one -over par 72 by Higgins in the final round was discarded for the team score but it meant that the Waterville man finished five under for the tournament and best of the Irish with Thornton on four under and Staunton on two under. Higgins was the leading individual in the tournament but unfortunately as a team event there was no prize for this.

It was Ireland’s first win in the event since 2008 when the trio of John Kelly, Robert Giles and Eamonn Brady took the title in Spain and rounds off a superb season for Higgins who celebrates his 45th birthday on December 1.