RaFFERTY HELPS IRELAND WIN FIRST EUROPEAN TITLE SINCE 2008

​Caolan Rafferty added another championship to his impressive golfing CV when he was part of the Ireland team that won the European Amateur Team Championship last week in Estonia. It was the first time since 2008 that Ireland had claimed the continental crown.
The Dundalk golfer was joined on the Ireland team by Baltray’s Stuart Grehan and Gavin Tiernan as the two Louth golf clubs supplied three of the six man Irish team.
“It is an unbelievable feeling,” said Rafferty. “Winning as a team is always that little sweeter and especially when it is an event like the European Teams.”
What made it even more remarkable was that Ireland named the same team that had finished fourth in Killarney last year and Rafferty felt that bond and experience helped this year.
“We are a good bunch. We got bad breaks last year in the tight matches and felt we could have won that too. Going into this year we were very confident especially with all the lads playing well.”
The 16 teams played a two round qualifying competition before being split into two groups of eight for the matchplay stages with the top eight playing off for the European title.
At the end of the first round Ireland found themselves in eighth place and in danger of not making the top flight. Their concern was compounded by a weather report according to Rafferty.
“We all knew we need to do better in the second round. We set a goal to finish in the top because there was word that the competition could be reduced due to bad weather and instead of a top eight it would be a top four so we had a little extra motivation to get there.”
Rafferty, who had shot 75 in the opening round, went six shots better in the second round with a three under par 69 as Ireland jumped four places to fourth behind Finland, Netherlands and France.
Their reward was a match against England in the quarter-final and Ireland needed no motivation having lost to the English in bronze medal match at last year’s Championship in Killarney.
Rafferty partnered Malone’s Matt McClean in the opening foursomes match and they had an impressive 3&2 win over Sebastian Cave and Lewy Hayward as Ireland beat England 3.5 to 1.5 to reach the last four for the second successive year.
“Matt is a great foursomes partner. Our games are very similar and we play quite a bit of golf together. It’s always nice to get one over the old enemy,” said Rafferty.
They faced holders Italy for a place in the final and while Rafferty and McClean were beaten by one hole by Francesco Petrangeli and Biagio Andrea Gagliardi, Ireland ran out 4-3 winners to book a place in the final against host Estonia.
“We had a cracking match against the Italians. We were five under for the round and had only one bogey so to end up being beaten after that you just have to take your hat off and congratulate the Italian lads. It was great to get over the line in the singles in the afternoon as Italy are always a tough opponent. Beating them filled us with a lot of confidence even though we all believed we would win this week,” said Rafferty.
Playing the hosts for a European title was never going to be easy and the local crowd ensured it was an intimidating atmosphere but the Irish team drew on their vast experience with Rafferty and McClean leading from the front as they beat Kevin Christopher Jegers and Markus Varjun 4&3 to get Ireland’s first point on the board.
“We were extremely solid again and didn’t give anything away at all. We are a dream foursomes pairing,” said Rafferty who was then selected for the afternoon singles where he faced Mattius Varjun.
Ireland were leading 3-2 as the matches involving Rafferty and Thomas Higgins headed into sudden death and it went to 3-3 went Rafferty lost on second tie hole.
“A poor tee shot on the 20th put me under pressure and I missed a par putt from 16 feet. Unfortunately that gave him the chance to win and it took it from 15 feet to win. I found it almost impossible to watch Tom’s match as I had just lost and felt I had lost us the tournament. Tom also hit it into the water on the 20th and we all felt the game was over but he held a great putt for par and shifted all the pressure back onto the Estonian which in the end proved too much.”
That win by Higgins gave Ireland a 4-3 win and their first European title since 2008 when Shane Lowry was part of a team that retained a title won the previous year by an Ireland team containing Rory McIlroy.
ENDS