Portmarnock 15th as Racing Club de France retains European Men’s Club Trophy
PORTMARNOCK finished 15th as Racing Club de France La Boulie retained the European Men’s Club Trophy at Golf du Médoc Resort.
The French club overturned a four-shot deficit to English club, Castle Royle, in the final round to lift the trophy for the second successive time.
Bonallack and St Andrews Trophy player, Frederic Lacroix, carded a four-underpar round of 67 on Saturday, which featured five birdies in the space of six holes on the back-nine, to help his team to a total of 14-under-par and a three-shot victory.
Danish team, Gyttegaard, that features Eisenhower Trophy winners, Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard, claimed the silver medals on 11-under-par.
Spanish club, RCG El Prat, who took the lead early on in round three, were forced to settle for third place despite having the player with the lowest individual total, Eduard Rousaud Sabate, on their team.
The Jacques Léglise Trophy player carded rounds of 69, 68, and 68 to post a total of eight-under-par and top the individual standings by a stroke from Lacroix.
Winners of the AIG Senior Cup at Thurles last month, Portmarnock’s trio of Geoff Lenehan, Darragh Coghlan and Stephen Walsh were hoping to follow in the footsteps of Limerick (1980) and Shandon Park (2000 & 2001) and become the third Irish club to win the coveted title.
But they finished 15th on 14-over par with Coghlan tied 30th on nine-over, Lenehan tied 33rd on 11-over with Walsh tied 48th on 16-over.
European Men’s Club Trophy, Golf du Médoc Resort, France (Par 71)
Final: 1 France (RCF - La Boulie) 136, 140, 136 (412); 2, Denmark (Gyttegaard Golfklub) 139, 138, 138 (415); 3, Spain (Real Club de Golf El Prat) 140, 134, 141 (415); 15, Portmarnock (D Coughlan 76 77 69, G Lenehan 75 73 76, S Walsh 79 71 79) 151, 144, 145 (440).