Scots tumble out of top tier after calamitous final round

Scott Knowles' side, who were sharing third at the start of the day, had been in a good position to seal a top-eight finish required to progress to the championship flight of matchplay, but they slithered out of the leading places with a crippling 22-over 382.

The defending champions, who finished with a 21-over team aggregate of 741 and shared ninth, will now contest the second division of matchplay over the next three days and can only finish as high as ninth.

On a testing closing day of qualifying, an 81 from Kris Nicol and a 77 by Greg Paterson, the two early starters, did little for Scottish morale, but James Byrne briefly eased concerns with a tidy three-under 69 which was illuminated by an eagle on the first hole.

By the time Ross Kellett had trudged in with a 78, however, the Scots were in a perilous position and when Michael Stewart also returned a 78, the holders found themselves in a desperate scrap for a top-eight spot with Sweden.

Henrik Norlander, the world No 11 and Sweden's last man on the course, posted a one-under 71 to hoist the hosts into the qualifying zone and Scotland's title hopes disintegrated when Peterhead's Philip McLean could only muster an 80.

Italy and Denmark topped the standings on 721 with nine-time winners England finishing third on 723 and Wales taking fifth on 729.

There was better news at the European Women's championship at La Manga in Spain, where a level-par 73 from national champion Kelsey MacDonald and a solid 74 from St Rule Trophy winner Laura Murray helped Scotland into the top flight. They finished in sixth place with a 757 after a final day total of 378 and will now square up to England in the quarter-finals today.

In the European Boys' Team championship at the Klassis resort in Turkey, Scotland's under-18s finished a lowly 15th.

In the girls' event at Aalborg in Denmark, the Scots closed with a 235, but also finished down in 15th place on a 475 and will compete in the second tier.