Scots amateur team out of Euro running

The best the Scots can now achieve is to finish fifth - but it was a close-run thing before Germany won 4-3.

Scotland took a 2-0 lead with victories in the foursomes by Michael Stewart and Kris Nicol, and James Byrne and Ross Kellett.

Although Byrne won his singles by one hole, Greg Paterson lost by 5 and 4, David Law lost by 2 and 1, and Stewart went down by 2 and 1, leaving the scoreline tied at 3-3 with everything hanging on Kellett's match, still out on the course, against Marcel Sneider.

Kellett was one up after 15 but the German squared it over the last few holes and finally beat the Scot at the 20th hole.

Scotland lost 3-2 to England in a Flight B match in the European boys' team championship in Prague, Czech Republic. Scotland's winners were Grant Forrest by two holes and Jack McDonald by 2 and 1.

Scottish women's champion Louise Kenney was back in the Scotland line-up at Murhof, Austria after being released from hospital in Graz following treatment to remove a food blockage from her throat.

Scotland celebrated Kenney's return by beating Switzerland 4-1 in a Flight B match.

Kenney and Rachael Watton won their foursome by one hole while singles wins were chalked up by Kelsey MacDonald (3 and 2), Pamela Pretswell (4 and 3) and Jayne Turner (3 and 2). Megan Briggs went down by one hole.

Scotland's girls were beaten 3 -1 in a Flight B match at Is Molas, Sardinia.

Eilidh Briggs was the Scots' only winner by 2 and 1 in the singles. Alyson McKechin salvaged a square game, also in the singles.

Meanwhile, Italian youngster Luigi Botta leads the 45 qualifiers into the final two rounds of the Scottish boys' Under-16 open stroke-play golf championship at Forfar Golf Club today.

Botta shot a bogey-free, three-under-par 69 with birdies at the first, eighth and 17th to go two shots clear of the field in the first round, which was delayed 24 hours because of flooding of the course on Wednesday.

Leading Scot is Connor Syme (Dumfries and County) in a tie for second place with two English competitors, Taylor Hutton (Foxhills) and Jack Hermeston (City of Newcastle), on 68.

Syme did well to recover from a potentially demoralising start - a double bogey 6 at the second and another shot dropped at the third. But the Doonhamer covered the remaining holes in four under par with birdies at the fifth, 11th, 14th, 15th and 18th and only one further shot dropped, at the 12th.

Paul Lawrie's son Craig missed the cut by five shots with a nine-over-par 78. Lawrie had double bogey 6s at the first and 15th and only one birdie, at the 14th.