SCOTS BOYS GAIN REPRIEVE, THEN LOSE TO TOP SEEDS ITALY

Scotland lost 4 1/2-2 1/2 to top qualifiers Italy in the quarter-finals of the European boys' team golf championship at Lidingo GC, Sweden. The Scots, thought to have failed by one shot to make the championship match-play flight following the disqualification of Greig Marchbank, were awarded eighth place after one of the Spanish boys realised late on Wednesday that he had played with 15 clubs in his bag in the second qualifying round. Spain's recalculated stroke-play total took them out of the leading eight. The Scots looked well on their way to a shock win when they led Italy 2-0 after the foursomes with wins by Craig Howie (Peebles) and Lawrence Allan (Alva), and Ewan Scott (St Andrews) and Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie). But it all went pear-shaped in the singles from which the Scots earned only half a point. Italy won five singles. Jamie Savage (Cawder) got the halved match. Neil, Scott, Marchbank (Dumfries and Co) and Craig Howie lost in the singles. England beat Ireland 4-3 and now play Italy for a place in the final. Today's results: CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT SCOTLAND 2 1/2, ITALY 4 1/2 Foursomes (2-0) Craig Howie and Lawrence Allan bt Renato Paratore and Giulio Castagnara 4 and 3 Ewan Scott and Bradley Neil bt Federico Zucchetti at 19th. Singles (1/2-4 1/2) Neil lost to Filippo 5 and 3. Scott lost to Paratore 4 and 3. Greig Marchbank lost to Castagnara 4 and 3. Jamie Savage halved with Botta. Howie lost to Zucchetti 7 and 4. OTHER RESULTS: Sweden 5, France 2 Germany 4, Norway 3 England 4, Ireland 3 NOW ENGLAND TAKE ON THE ITALIANS NEWS RELEASE FROM ENGLAND GOLF England will meet leading qualifiers Italy in the semi-finals of the European boys' team championship in Sweden after easing past Ireland in the quarter-finals. The clash with the Irish was always close but England secured a place in the last four with a 4-3 victory at Lindingo, Toby Tree producing the vital win. The two morning foursomes were shared, Tree and Ashton Turner securing a fine 3 and 1 win over Gavin Moynihan and John-Ross Galbraith. But Max Orrin and Matthew Fitzpatrick saw a one-hole lead slip at the last when they made five from the fairway. They then lost the 19th to a birdie, the Irish holing from eight feet while Orrin missed from slightly nearer. In the singles, Orrin was up against it from the start against Moynihan and was three down through 12. He hit back with a birdie-four at 13 and a winning par at the next. But he lost the 16th to a par and Moynihan closed out the game 2 and 1 with a par-3 on 17. Fitzpatrick got off to a flier against William Russell and was generally in command to run out a 5 and 3 winner, but Turner was always trailing to Alex Gleeson and went down 4 and 3. That left the Irish with a 3-2 lead but Patrick Kelly raced five up through 12 holes against Galbraith and although he was pegged back, he held on to win 2 and 1 to put the scores level again. In the final game, Tree and Robin Dawson were neck-and-neck for most of their game but Tree edged ahead on the back nine. The 16th was halved in 6s after both players found the lateral hazard but Tree hit a fine tee shot on 17 to 15 feet and two-putted for par while Dawson missed the green left and failed to get up-and-down. Italy, who were clear qualifiers, lost both the foursomes against Scotland but hit back to drop just half a point from the five singles to take the match 4½ – 2½. In the other quarter-finals, Sweden beat France 5-2 and Germany overcame Norway 4-3.

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