Helen Jones wins European seniors' bronze medal after countback

Helen Jones from Strabane Golf Club, Ireland won a bronze medal at the European senior women's amateur championship which ended at Golf Club Achensee-Pertisau, Austria today.
Winner of the gold by the runaway margin of 12 shots was France's Virginie Burrus with rounds of 76, 73 and 72 for eight-over-par 221.
Three players tied for second place on 233 - Guenda Preti Moavero (Italy) (76-84-73), Helen Jones (Ireland) (80-77-76) and Cornelia Schmidt-Stutzle (Germany) (83-73-77).
Under the rules of the competition, a tie for the silver and bronze medals results in a comparison of the final rounds. Moavero thus took the silver with her final round of 73 and Jones got the bronze with her closing round of 76, one shot ahead of Schmidt-Stutzle.
Fiona De Vries (St Rule) jumped past Pamela Williamson (Baberton), the long-time leading Scot in the tournament, over the final round. Fiona finished with scores of 80, 83 and 80 for 30 over par 243. That gave her joint 20th place.
Pamela scored 77, 83 and 85 for 245 and a share of 24th place.
EUROPEAN SENIOR WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
FINAL TOTALS
221 Burrus, Virginie (Golf de St Cloud) 76 73 72 (gold medal winner)
233 Preti Moavero (Guenda GC, Milano) 76 84 73 (silver medal winner), Jones, Helen (Strabane GC) 80 77 76 (bronze medal winner), Schmidt-Stützle, Dr. Cornelia (Stuttgarter GC)  83 73 77
234 Beer, Uschi (Düsseldorfer GC) 78 74 82, Hoff, Viveca (Rya GK) 79 79 76, Vanderlinden, Laurette (Royal Waterloo GC) 79 75 80
237 Hermanson, Anki (Lunds Akademiska GK) 84 75 78
238 Guglielmone, Mimmi (GC Lugano) 83 78 77, Oldenbourg, Tessa  (GC Wörthsee) 82 81 75, Boeder, Sabine (GR Bad Griesbach) 81 76 81, Utermarck, Chris (GC Berlin-Wannsee) 83 80 75
239 Kalstad, Else (Furesoen GK) 76 85 78, Christillin, Maria Francesca (Circolo Golf Torino) 80 81 78
240 Lehmann, Dagmar (GC Gifhorn) 78 78 84, Werneskog-Ljung, Birgitta (Eksjö GK) 77 82 81, Blecher, Sabine (Stuttgarter GC) 78 84 78
242 Lassl, Magdalena (GC Ingolstad) 84 81 77, Nijhof, Marleen (Royal Antwerp GC) 81 78 83
243 De Vries, Fiona (St. Rule Club) 80 83 80, Birke, Christina (GC Ullna, Sweden) 81 83 79
244 Gumpert, Karin (GC Köln) 86 80 78, Goossens, Neeltje (Prise d´eau) 81 83 80
245 Erdman, Coos (Capelle a/d IJssel) 84 82 79, Williamson, Pamela (Baberton GC) 77 83 85
246 Hassett, Valerie (Ennis GC) 80 83 83, Valli, Silvia (GC Monticello) 87 76 83
247 Strand, Carina (Albatross GK) 83 83 81, Van Dommelen, Liesbeth (GC Houtrak) 80 82 85, Mogensen, Birthe Skou (Storaadalen GC) 80 82 85
248 Jacob, Edeltraud (GC Erftaue) 80 86 82, Colmant, Francoise (San Vigilio) 77 83 88
250 Christoffersen, Iris (Storstrommen GC) 82 79 89
MISSED THE CUT (selected score)
178 McAndrew, Christine (GC Nairn) 91 87.

The European senior men's amateur championship was played in conjunction with the women's event at the same venue.
Two players tied for victory on five-over-par 218, both of them Swedes - Per Hildebrand (72-74-72) and Mats Andersson (68-78-72). Mats Andersson won the play-off.
Sweden filled 1-2-3 (1-2-3-5 for that matter) with Ernie Ahsberg coming third on 219 with scores of 79, 75 and 74.
Ireland's Adrian Morrow (Portmarnock) just missed out on the bronze medal with a fourth place finish on 220. He scored 74, 71 and 75.
The Swede in fifth place on 221 was Tomas Persson with rounds of 75, 72 and 74.
There were no Scottish male competitors in the championship.
The top English finisher was Geoff King from West Essex in joint 14th postion on 228 with scores of 79, 78 and 71.
Next Englishman was Charles Banks (Stanton on the Wolds) in a share of 21st place on 230 with scores of 74, 77 and 79.
Several times Scottish senior open champion, David Lane (Goring and Streatley) finished joint 27th on 232 with compatriot Andrew Stracey (Littlestone). Lane scored 75, 81 and 76; Stracey 78, 78 and 76.