Wales return to top Euro table
WALES will return to the top flight in the European Amateur Team Championship next year after claiming a top-three finish in Division Two at Rosa Private, Poland.
The six-man team helped Wales finish third in stroke play qualifying with 722, two-over par, 10 shots behind leading qualifiers Switzerland.
In the first round, Jake Hapgood (Southerndown) (pictured) carded the best score with a one-under 71 while joint Berkshire Trophy winner
Matt Roberts (Vale Resort) matched par, along with
Tom Froom (Nefyn & District).
Ben Chamberlain (Padeswood & Buckley) and Tom Williams (Wrexham) hit 73 and 74 respectively, which meant Gaelen Trew’s 76 was not added to the team’s tally.
In the second round, Chamberlain led the way with an impressive three-under 69 while Froom and Trew (Wentworth) both hit 71.
72 came from Roberts and Hapgood struck 77. The lowest score came from Williams with 78 but that wasn’t counted. Their third-place finish in stroke play saw them progress to Flight A knowing at least third place overall would see them gain promotion.
But they started the match play phase with a narrow IN ASSOCIATION WITH 4-3 defeat to Slovenia.
That set-up a crucial match with Switzerland, with the winner sealing promotion.
Froom and Trew gave Wales early control with a 2&1 victory over Robert Foley and Neal Woernhard in the foursomes. Hapgood and Williams then doubled Wales’ advantage with a narrow one-hole victory over Loris Schuepbach and Henry Tschopp.
The men carried that form into the singles where Chamberlain prevailed on the 20th against Jeremy Freiburghaus and Roberts saw off Perry Cohen by one hole to seal the result.
Trew also won his game against Tschopp by two holes but the Swiss did get points on the board with victories over Froom and Hapgood, but that mattered little as Wales sealed third place and promotion back to the top flight.
But the boys who won promotion last year go the other way and will return to Division Two next year after finishing in the bottom two of Flight B.