Stuart Grehan and Gavin Tiernan played their part as Great Britain and Ireland secured an impressive win at the St Andrews Trophy in Spain.<\/p>\n
Grehan teamed up with Eliot Baker to win his morning foursomes before Tiernan beat Swede Alfons Bondesson 3&2 in his singles as GB&I eased to a 16\u00bd-8\u00bd triumph over the Continent of Europe at Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro in Madrid.<\/p>\n
They claimed the trophy won by the Continent of Europe at Royal Porthcawl last year as England\u2019s Luke Poulter, son of Ian, took them over the winning line with a one-hole victory over Gunnlaugur Arni Sveinsson from Iceland. <\/p>\n
Poulter, 21, finished in style when he holed his bunker shot for an eagle on the 18th to seal the success, moments after Sveinsson had made his own remarkable eagle from 100 feet.<\/p>\n
GB&I Captain Dean Robertson watched his side win all four sessions over the two days of the match, including two unbeaten foursomes sessions. Robertson\u2019s fellow Scot Cameron Adam won all four of his ties as he shone in Spain.<\/p>\n
GB&I now hold the Curtis Cup, the Vagliano Trophy and the St Andrews Trophy thanks to a hat-trick of successes inside the last year.<\/p>\n
Former European Tour winner Robertson, who will also lead GB&I against the United States of America in the Walker Cup at Cypress Point in September, looked for a fast start and his team achieved it.<\/p>\n
GB&I headed into day two with an 8-4 advantage, needing just five more points to win back the trophy. Their success yesterday was underpinned by almost claiming maximum points from the morning foursomes ties, winning the session 3\u00bd-\u00bd.<\/p>\n
Their momentum continued this morning after another unbeaten foursomes display, again claiming the session 3\u00bd-\u00bd to build a commanding 11\u00bd-4\u00bd lead. <\/p>\n
England\u2019s Tyler Weaver and Connor Graham from Scotland won both of their foursomes matches, as did another English-Scottish pairing of Dominic Clemons and Adam.<\/p>\n
Graham and Adam both qualified to play in The 153rdOpen at Royal Portrush last week and they continued to impress in Spain.<\/p>\n
With GB&I needing just one-and-a-half points from the final nine singles for outright victory, Weaver was six up after just eight holes against Filip Jakubcik \u2013 the European Amateur Champion who also competed at Royal Portrush \u2013 before sealing a 6&5 win. Weaver was unbeaten across his four matches, winning three-and-a-half points.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tim Wiedemeyer from Germany pulled a point back for the home side after inflicting a first defeat for Graham by the margin of 4&3, before Poulter\u2019s magic at the last secured the overall team victory. <\/p>\n
Poulter was also unbeaten in four games, so too winning three-and-a-half points.\u00a0<\/p>\n
France\u2019s Hugo Le Goff and Claes Thrane Borregaard from Denmark then delivered singles wins for the hosts, but GB&I\u2019s Gavin Tiernan secured his first point of the match after beating Bondesson 3&2.<\/p>\n
England\u2019s Eliot Baker also ended the overall match unbeaten, finishing with a victory over Spain\u2019s Sergio Jimenez Romero by one hole. <\/p>\n
Estonian Richard Teder, another amateur to play at Royal Portrush last week, beat Grehan 2&1 before Adam closed with a triumph over Dane Kristian Hjort Bressum by 2&1.<\/p>\n
In the last six stagings of the St Andrews Trophy, GB&I have now won three times and retained the trophy after a draw at Prince\u2019s in 2016.<\/p>\n
For final scoring from the St Andrews Trophy,\u00a0please click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Doyle shines in Carris Trophy<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Cork\u2019s John Doyle continued his ascent in the amateur ranks when he finished second in the Carris Trophy \u2014\u00a0the English Boys’ Under-18 Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship \u2014 at Luffenham Heath.<\/p>\n He shot an incredible eight under 62 in round two, eventually finishing just a shot behind France\u2019s Callixte Alzas.<\/p>\n