Team Europe entered the final day singles matches with a six point lead after a remarkable clean sweep in Wednesday’s four-balls at Golf Nazionale, and they drove home their home advantage with seven victories and three ties in 12 Thursday singles matches at this year’s Ryder Cup venue, triumphing 20 ½ to 9 ½.

Germany’s Helen Briem provided the Europeans with some early momentum after her 2&1 win over Yana Wilson, before Kris Kim defeated Miles Russell 5&4 to extend Europe’s advantage.

Spaniard Andrea Revuelta holed the winning putt to seal outright victory for Team Europe for the first time since 2004 when they won the trophy on American soil at Westfield Group Country Club in Ohio.

Scotland’s Conor Graham overcame American Jay Leng Jr 1 UP, while Swede Meja Örtengren defeated Gianna Clemente 3&2. Irishman Sean Keeling and Italian Giovanni Binaghi provided the two other European victories.

In the final match to finish on the course, Italy’s Francesca Fiorellini provided a moment of magic on the 18th green as she came back from 2 DOWN with two holes to play, holing a putt from 25 feet to tie the match in front of a raucous home crowd.

European Junior Ryder Cup Captain Stephen Gallacher was delighted to bring home the trophy for his side and believes the future is bright for European golf.

“It feels absolutely amazing,” he said. “I am so proud of this team and what they have achieved. The team spirit has been unbelievable, and it has been a privilege to be their Captain.

“Every player took control of their own game and they’ve done everything I could have asked of them. The standard of golf has blown me away and it has been inspiring to watch. We are looking at future Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup stars.

“The kids have been fantastic and the way they bounced back at times was sensational. I’ve been blessed to have a front row seat and it’s been an honour just to watch them play. Some of these boys and girls will be future World Number Ones for sure.

“The standard and the talent out there is unreal and the future is bright for Europe. They have all been superstars. The way they dealt with the pressure of playing in this arena has been exceptional and I think our team wanted it a bit more today.”

Find Out More about the Junior Ryder Cup

The two teams – comprising 12 of the best male and female junior players from each of Europe and the United States – entered the second day tied at 6-6, before the home side took control, winning all six four-ball matches at Golf Nazionale in Rome.

The Europeans made the perfect start to the four-balls when Spaniard Rocio Tejedo and Scotland’s Connor Graham overcame American twins Anna and Billy Davis 3&2 in the first match, before Sweden’s Meja Örtengren and Englishman Kris Kim also defeated Yana Wilson and Miles Russell 3&2.

Europe extended their lead with German duo Helen Briem and Peer Wernicke securing a 2&1 triumph over Leigh Chien and Nicholas Gross, followed by Italians Francesca Fiorellini and Giovanni Binaghi’s impressive 4&3 victory against Kylie Chong and Jay Leng Jr.

Team Europe continued to dominate as Spain’s Andrea Revuelta and Ukrainian Lev Grinberg overcame Ryleigh Knaub and Jackson Byrd 1 UP before Sweden’s Nora Sundberg and Ireland’s Sean Keeling defeated Gianna Clemente and Will Hartman 3&1 to make it six from six for Stephen Gallacher’s team.

“It was awesome,” said Gallacher. “We came out firing and took control of the session from the word go. We took a hit yesterday afternoon and I knew they wanted to bounce back today. The team spirit yesterday evening was terrific and I’m so proud of all of them.

“Every player took control of their own game and they’ve done everything I could have asked of them. They were playing their own ball today which helped them play their own game.

“There are still 12 points left to play for and anything can happen. It’s important not to get complacent and we need to just focus on winning the session.

“I’m having an amazing time as Captain. The standard of golf is phenomenal, and I think seven under par was our lowest score today which is amazing to see. I’m seeing so many good shots that it is inspiring.”

U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Captain Paul Levy is hoping his team can bounce back tomorrow, with the Americans needing to recover the six-point deficit to retain the trophy.

“I’ve seen a lot of Ryder Cup competitions in my time and today we got beat emphatically,” he said. “They played exceptionally, and we didn’t put the ball in the hole quick enough.

“Tomorrow, we need to win nine of the 12 points to retain the Junior Ryder Cup and we’re going to have to dig deep and see if we can keep that cup.

“My boys and girls have heart. They’re going to go out there and be competitive. I’m hoping something very special can happen at Marco Simone.”

The decisive single matches will begin tomorrow at 7:30am local time at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, the Ryder Cup venue, on the eve of the 44th edition of the biennial contest between Europe and the United States.

Find Out More about the Junior Ryder Cup

In a change to the previous format, the Junior Ryder Cup will now take place over three days instead of two with Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, the Ryder Cup venue, hosting the decisive singles matches for the first time on Thursday. The final day will also be broadcast live on television.

The three-day tournament, featuring two teams of 12 of the best male and female junior players from Europe and the United States, began this morning in the Italian capital with foursomes – which saw Europe take a 4-2 lead – followed by mixed foursomes in the afternoon.

After a strong start from the Americans girls which saw Gianna Clemente and Yana Wilson grab the first point of the day with a 2&1 win over Spaniards Rocio Tejedo and Andrea Revuelta, the European girls fought back with German Helen Briem and Italian Francesca Fiorellini defeating Ryleigh Knaub and Kylie Chong 5&4 to earn Europe’s first point of the tournament.

The U.S. boys pairing of Jay Leng Jr. and Billy Davis looked to have secured another point for their team, jumping into a commanding 6 UP lead after nine holes in their match against Graham and Keeling, however the European duo bounced back heroically to tie the match.

In a toe-to-toe match Swedish duo Nora Sundberg and Meja Örtengren were level with Americans Anna Davis and Leigh Chien heading down the last, before the Europeans won the final hole to claim a 1 UP triumph.

Elsewhere Ukrainian Lev Grinberg and Englishman Kris Kim tied with Jackson Byrd and Will Hartman, while German Peer Wernicke and Italian Giovanni Binaghi overcame Miles Russell and Nicholas Gross 1 UP.

“It was a day of two halves,” said European Junior Ryder Cup Captain Stephen Gallacher. “The foursome play is always so close and it difficult for the players to find a rhythm. To end the day in a tie is a good and fair result, I felt we edged the morning session, and they were the better team in the afternoon.

“I’m so proud of all of my team, especially Sean and Connor this morning who refused to give in and showed incredible courage to come back from six down at the turn. It was evident that we won the morning session because of their score and the rest of the team fed of that energy.

“We have a great harmony in the group, and I could have paired anyone with anyone. Honours are even and we will try and win the two sessions tomorrow.

“Everyone is playing their own ball tomorrow and they will feel more comfortable with that so I am looking forward to another good day.”

During the afternoon mixed foursome sessions, the Europeans started brightly with a commanding 3&1 victory from Örtengren and Kim over Clemente and Byrd before the Americans mounted an impressive comeback from twins Anna Davis and Billy Davis – who birdied two of their three closing holes to tie with Tejedo and Graham.

Revuelta and Grinberg tied the third match with Chong + Jay Leng Jr, before the Americans sealed three consecutive victories from Wilson and Russell, Chien and Gross, plus Knaub and Hartman which meant the teams will enter the second day level on points.

“The whole day was close throughout and I think to finish six points each is a fair score,” said U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Captain Paul Levy. “A few things went the way of the Europeans in the morning and a few things went our way in the afternoon.

“We showed some great fighting spirit to bring the matches even and we never gave up. We stayed focus, made our putts and we are looking to carry that momentum into tomorrow.”

Tomorrow’s four-ball matches, featuring all 24 players, will begin at 10:45am local time.

Find Out More about the Junior Ryder Cup

In a change to the previous format, the Junior Ryder Cup will now take place over three days instead of two with Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, the Ryder Cup venue, hosting the decisive singles matches for the first time, which will also be broadcast live on television.

Golf Nazionale, which hosted the Italian Challenge Open earlier this year, will be the venue for the first two days of foursomes and fourballs between male and female juniors from Europe and the United States, on Tuesday September 26 and Wednesday September 27. The competition will then move to Marco Simone Golf & Country Club on Thursday September 28, the day before the venue hosts the Ryder Cup itself, providing an exciting curtain-raiser to golf’s greatest team contest.

The 2023 European Junior Ryder Cup Team, captained by 2014 Ryder Cup player Stephen Gallacher, consists of six boys and six girls. The six automatic qualifiers included three boys – Englishman Kris Kim, Ireland’s Sean Keeling and Germany’s Peer Wernicke – and three girls – Spain’s Rocio Tejedo, Swede Meja Örtengren and Germany’s Helen Briem.

Six players were then selected by Gallacher: Scotland’s Connor Graham, Ukraine’s Lev Grinberg and Italian Giovanni Binaghi for the boys, while Sweden’s Nora Sundberg, Spain’s Andrea Revuelta Goicoechea and Italian Francesca Fiorellini were selected for the girls.

“It is a tremendous honour to be Captain of the European Junior Ryder Cup side and I am looking forward to working with and showcasing the most exciting future talent in Europe,” said Gallacher. “My uncle has captained the Ryder Cup team three times and I was lucky enough to play in 2014 so the Ryder Cup has always been a big part of my life.

“I’ve got a front row seat to watch the best players in the world at their level and golf’s future World Number Ones.

“We’ve got a very strong team and we’re looking forward to a robust but fair competition against the U.S played in the spirit of the game.

“Playing the final day at Marco Simone will be a magical experience for the teams who get the opportunity to compete in front of Ryder Cup crowds on the Ryder Cup course for the first time.

“Walking on to the first tee yesterday during our practice round and getting to meet Captain Luke Donald was an amazing experience for our team.”

The U.S. Team, captained by PGA Past President Paul Levy, is seeking its seventh straight victory and owns a 7-3-1 all-time record in the biennial competition. The team features six boys and six girls who are U.S. citizens and members of the high school graduating class of 2024 or younger.

The 2023 U.S. Team includes Junior PGA Championship winner Gianna Clemente, Leigh Chien, Kylie Chong, Anna Davis, Ryleigh Knaub, Yana Wilson for the girls. The selected boys comprises Junior PGA Championship winner Miles Russell, Jackson Byrd, Billy Davis, Nicholas Gross, Will Hartman, Jay Leng Jr.

“These are the greatest young players in America and they are ready to flourish on the biggest of stages this week. It’s going to be a special tournament for everyone involved. This is not just about wanting to win for your continent but it’s also about the fellowship, the friendship and the memories that the players will create.

“This is a very special experience to be in Rome. For a Ryder Cup, I don’t think we’ve ever had a better venue. It’s a special match play golf course.

“To be the U.S. Team Captain is an absolute honour and it is by far the proudest moment in my career.”

Find Out More about the Junior Ryder Cup

The participation of a legend, a hole in one, a Slovak sports accident or an endless shootout. This was also about the 7th year of the Penati Slovak Open.

The biggest international golf tournament of the year in Slovakia took place from September 10 to 12 in one of the world’s most beautiful resorts – Penati. The entire event, with a record subsidy of 22 thousand euros, occurred under absolutely perfect conditions, accompanied by sunny and windless weather. The Legend course, with a par of 73, was prepared at the highest level.

The three-day event started with the popular Pro-Am tournament, where professional players teamed up with personalities and partners of the Penati Slovak Open. Victory was claimed by the team led by professional Šimon Zach, who shared the stage with Andrej Chochoľ, Peter Palka, and Milan Sciranka. An additional competition during the Pro-Am day was the professional tournament, traditionally dominated by the Czech Tomáš Beck, finishing 6 shots under par and earning a 1000 euro bonus. His compatriot, Ondrej Lieser, came just one shot short of victory. On hole no. 3, a collection was held for handicapped golfers, who finally received a check worth 1450 euros.

The first round of the main two-round tournament, in which 64 players from seven countries participated, showcased admirable performances. The best starting position after the first day was secured by Denk and Sedláček, who achieved a score of -6. Luca Denk from Austria further bolstered his position with a hole-in-one on hole no. 12 and an eagle on the 15th – the iconic par 6 hole, the longest in Europe, measuring 712 meters. Meanwhile, Czech leader Tadeáš Sedláček recorded 7 birdies. The highest-ranked Slovak after the first day was the holder of a free card, René Bergendi, on the provisional 7th place.

Tournament ambassador Rory Sabbatini was also present at the Penati Slovak Open. The defending champion from 2019 shot 5 under par over two rounds, finishing tied for 4th. The Olympic silver medalist from Tokyo ended the season in Šajdíkove Humence.

Another Slovak, René Bergendi, also finished in 4th place. The 18-year-old golfing talent from our country performed brilliantly on his home course and seemed headed for a sensational victory with 9 shots under par. However, an unfortunate turn on the 18th hole, where two of his balls ended up in the water and he played 4 shots over par, brought his story to a bitter conclusion. Nevertheless, he did not regret his decision on the hole with the island green.

After the end of both rounds, three players were tied for 1st place: the leader after the first day, Austrian Luca Denk, alongside Czech player Marek Siakal and the defending champion from 2020, Olympian from Tokyo, Ondrej Lieser. Denk was eliminated in the first round of the shootout. Spectators at Penati witnessed an endless playoff that ended almost after dark. Siakala and Lieser had to replay par-4 hole number 18 up to 7 times, teeing off from three different locations. In the end, the winner was determined by a better-managed hole played from the red tee, where Siakala landed his first shot on the green, made two putts, and secured a birdie, while Lieser only managed par. In addition to the trophy, the winner of the 7th Penati Slovak Open, Marek Siakala of the Czech Republic, also received a bonus of 10,000 euros and a free card for the Swiss Challenge of the Challenge Tour series.

CLICK FOR FULL FINAL SCORES

Wales’ Liam Bond has been crowned the professional champion of the latest edition of the Aegean Messinia Pro-Am following a week that included setting a new course record at Costa Navarino and victory in a nail-biting playoff in the final round.

The hugely successful Pro-Am brought together 60 teams and their Professionals from 23 countries, but it was Bond who was able to finish on top after rounds of 69, his course record-breaking 62 at The Bay Course, and 70 to finish at -13 and ultimately to take the title.

Bond said: “I’m really excited to win this event, which is the best pro-am on our calendar in Europe and we’re looked after so well.

“The golf courses are immaculate, and the players will all agree that they are some of the finest courses in the world. I enjoyed The Bay Course the most with my course record round, so nine under par around there was really nice to achieve.”

Initially tying at -13 with Bond at the close of the final round was PGA of Spain professional, Liam Murray. After a halved first playoff hole the pair played the The Dunes course 18th hole again and an errant drive from Murray was enough to open the door for Bond to take advantage and secure his second title since winning the event in its previous Aegean Airlines Pro-Am guise.

PGA of Italy Professional, Alessandro Tadini, made every effort to compete with the pair of ‘Liams‘ but just missed out after a more settled final day prevented him from moving further in to the red, resulting in a third place finish for the previous champion.

The Pro-Am is the latest event in the new CPG International Series – an inclusive and innovative schedule of international tournaments in collaboration with its Member Country PGAs. Professional Winner, Bond, will receive an invitation to the Series Final, whilst all Professionals in the field have earnt Order of Merit points that could eventually build to qualification for the Series Final.

In the Team Pro-Am event it was Hakan Yamaç (PGA of Turkey) and his amateur teammates, Bogdan Jigman, Teodor Viorel and Catalina Jigman who took the honours with 283 points.

Seven points behind in second were Paolo Dellepiane Terreni (PGA of Italy), Paolo Lange, Nicola Guidi, and Federico Lange, who beat out Team Murray of Dimitar Georgiev, Momchil Shishkov and Todor Chakov on countback.

For more information on the 2023 Aegean Messinia Pro-Am visit https://cp.golf/2023aegeanmessinia