European Championships

European Golf Team Championships

August 08-12

Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland

€1,100,000

August 08-12

Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland

€1,100,000

Day 3

Two Spanish sides make men’s semis at Gleneagles

Day 1

Day 2

Day 4 - Mixed Team

Day 5 - Men/Women

Day 1

Day 2

Day 4 - Mixed Team

Day 5 - Men/Women

August 10, 2018

Santiago Tarrio Ben and David Borda ensured there will be two Spanish teams in the semi-finals of the inaugural European Golf Team Championships after recording a 3 and 2 victory over Sweden 1 to top Group A.

- Getty Images

“I think the half against Great Britain was key on Wednesday. We played against the favourite team, and we knew that, and I think we played pretty well. We halved the match and that was the key to getting to the semi-finals.

“We knew we had to win today and we started really well. Santiago made an eagle on two and a birdie on five – we started 3UP. We were playing against great players – Johan Edfors, he’s won many tournaments on the European Tour. We fought until the end and we are really happy.”

Spain 2 went into their final group match level on three points with Great Britain 1, knowing only one team could progress to the final four.

And with Lee Slattery and Callum Shinkwin suffering a 3 and 2 defeat at the hands of Sweden 2 on Friday, Borda and Tarrio Ben joined countrymen Scott Fernandez and Pedro Oriol of Spain 1 in the semis after leading from start to finish against Johan Edfors and Per Langfors.

Spain 1, who were already assured of their place in the last four after winning Group C on Thursday, lost to Denmark as the rain began to fall at Gleneagles on Friday.

- Getty Images

“The weather changed things," said Hafthorsson, "especially the ball flight, but we’re used to it. We’ve played in plenty of wet and windy weather.

“It would be a great honour to win a medal for Iceland. We’ve played well in our matches and hit lots of good shots, so if that’s what it takes to bring a medal home then that will be fantastic.”

The semi-finals will be played in the foursomes match play format on Sunday morning, with the winners going through to the Gold Medal Match and the losers battling it out for bronze.

In the Women’s Group Stage, Dame Laura Davies and Georgia Hall of Great Britain 1 and Meghan Maclaren and Michelle Thomson of Great Britain 3 advanced into the semi-finals after they both topped their group. They are joined by France 2’s Justine Dreher and Manon Molle, and Cajsa Persson and Linda Wessberg of Sweden 3, as they won their final matches by one hole and two holes, respectively.