The Ladies European Tour (LET) brought
the curtain down on a successful season Sunday when they defeated the
European Seniors Tour 11 - 9 in the Praia D'El Rey Rover European Cup in
Portugal.
Having started the day level with the Seniors on five points apiece, the LET
secured their first victory in the three-year history of this matchplay
event by winning five of the ten singles and finishing all square in two.
"I'm delighted to win for the first time and very proud of my team - it was
a very tough match," said LET Captain Marie-Laure de Lorenzi of France.
"We had a real mixture in the team this year and I was very happy with the
way they blended together and played to such a high standard.
"There have been a lot of positive changes on the (Ladies) European Tour
since the new management came in and I think this is a great way to end the
season. It was a great result for women's golf in Europe.
"
Although disappointed, Seniors captain Tommy Horton was full of praise for
both teams.
"I think the ladies were much stronger this year than in the past, so I was
pleased that so many of the matches came down to the 18th - at one stage we
were well behind," said Horton, who like de Lorenzi won two out of a
possible three points.
"They were stronger players and stronger hitters this year. I think the
girls were also a bit more buoyant having Laura (Davies) around.
"Personally, I hope the event continues next season. The women's Tour is in
a much better position than it has been in the past and the Seniors Tour is
getting better all the time. I definitely think there is a place for it on
the calendar."
In all, seven of the ten matches were decided on the 18th green. Five of
them were all square going down the last, and from these five matches the
women managed to secure three vital points.
England's Trish Johnson and Laura Davies got the LET off to a strong start
in their respective singles against Australian Ross Metherell and Jerry
Bruner of the United States. Both women were four holes up by the turn.
But coming home the Seniors fought back gallantly and both matches went to
the 18th before Johnson secured an early point for the LET with a 12-foot
birdie.
Davies followed Johnson with a four to Bruner's bogey five and the LET moved
7-5 ahead with two matches down.
"I missed a good birdie chance on 14 to get back to four up, and then Ross
played very well on the last five holes and put me under a lot of pressure,"
said Johnson, a two-time winner on this year's LET. "I was very happy to
sneak it at the end and get an early point for the team."
John Morgan, the only player from either side to secure a maximum three
points, closed the gap to one point with a 2&1 win over Alison Nicholas,
before Sweden's Maria Hjorth halved her match with American Bill Brask.
The biggest margin of victory went to Sweden's Sophie Gustafson, who
remained unbeaten for the week after a convincing 5&3 victory over Neil
Coles.
Alan Tapie and David Jones kept the Seniors hopes alive by taking maximum
points in their two singles, only for de Lorenzi and Lora Fairclough to put
the match beyond reach by defeating Eddie Polland and Antonio Garrido.
PRAIA D'EL REY ROVER EUROPEAN CUP
SINGLES
Ladies European Tour (LET) European Seniors
Tour
1 Trish Johnson (ENG) 1 hole Ross Metherell (AUS)
2 Laura Davies (ENG) 1 hole Jerry Bruner (USA)
3 Alison Nicholas (ENG) John Morgan (ENG)
2&1
4 Maria Hjorth (SWE) A/S Bill Brask (USA)
5 Raquel Carriedo (ESP) Alan Tapie (USA) 2
holes
6 Sandrine Mendiburu (FRA) David Jones (NIR) 1
hole
7 Lora Fairclough (ENG) 1 hole Antonio Garrido
(ESP)
8 Sophie Gustafson (SWE) 5&3 Neil Coles (ENG)
9 Sofia Gronberg-Whitmore (SWE) A/S Tommy Horton (ENG)
10 Marie-Laure de Lorenzi (FRA) 4&3 Eddie Polland (NIR)
