Golf

Scott Jamieson cuts Europe’s Seve Trophy lead

Great Britain and Ireland trail by one having looked in deeper trouble at St Nom La Breteche

David Lynn and Scott Jamieson of the Great Britain and Ireland team during the second day’s fourballs at the Seve Trophy at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Breteche. Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
David Lynn and Scott Jamieson of the Great Britain and Ireland team during the second day’s fourballs at the Seve Trophy at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Breteche. Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Fri Oct 04 2013 - 18:28

Scott Jamieson's final-hole heroics helped Great Britain and Ireland narrow the deficit to a single point at the end of the second day of the Seve Trophy at St Nom La Breteche.

Jose Maria Olazabal's Continental Europe team looked set to extend their overnight lead for much of Friday's play but a sterling fightback started by Jamieson left the score at 5.5 to 4.5 heading into the weekend.

Paul Casey and Simon Khan had given Great Britain and Ireland a good start with a 3&2 victory over Mikko Ilonen and Thorbjorn Olesen partly thanks to a brilliant rescue shot from Casey which left them three up after seven. But the remaining four matches threatened to swing blue and Continental Europe restored their two-point advantage when Nicolas Colsaerts and Gonzalo Fdez-Castano equalled the biggest winning margin in the tournament's history.

They built on a 5&3 win on the opening day by recording a thumping 6&5 success against Paul Lawrie and Stephen Gallacher which boosted Europe's hopes of ending six straight Seve Trophy victory by GB and Ireland.

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Although Jamie Donaldson and Marc Warren once again reduced the deficit with a 4&2 win over Thomas Bjorn and Miguel Angel Jimenez, both remaining matches looked like going to Europe until a dramatic late twist.

Italians Francesco Molinari and Matteo Manassero looked to be sailing home against Jamieson and David Lynn as they held a one-hole lead with two to play, but Jamieson's birdie on the 17th took it to the final hole.

After Manassero missed his chance from eight feet Jamieson stepped up again to sink a six-foot birdie and steal victory in a match the GB pair seldom looked like winning to leave the overall standings all-square.

In the final match of the day, Tommy Fleetwood and Chris Wood came up agonisingly short against Joost Luiten and Gregory Bourdy despite a brave fightback when all seemed lost. The Continental Europe pair were three up after 14 and two up with two to play, but Woods' eagle on the 17th ensured it would go down to the final hole.

Both Wood and Fleetwood had putts to win the final hole and halve the match, but Fleetwood’s effort drifted wide from six feet, allowing Luiten and Bourdy to escape with a one-hole victory to restore Europe’s narrow advantage.