Swede success as Scotland retain European title

Scotland retained the European Men's Team Championship title for the first time in nearly 40 years after beating Sweden 5-2 in a keenly-contested final at Golf de Chantilly.

Singles wins from Robert MacIntyre (Glencruitten), Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) and Connor Syme (Drumoig) secured the victory after Syme and Craig Howie (Peebles) had eeked out a crucial 21st-hole success in the morning foursomes to make it 1-1 heading into the afternoon session.

Syme, the Australian Amateur champion, finished the event unbeaten as he picked up five-and-a-half points from six matches while MacIntyre and Forrest also weighed in with significant contributions.

Left-hander MacIntyre, the Scottish champion and beaten finalist in last month’s Amateur Championship, claimed five points from six games while Forrest, the Scottish No 1, picked up four points from his five outings.

It is the third time the title has fallen to the Scots in the last seven years but the first time they’ve been back-to-back champions since 1977.

Elsewhere, Scott Henry heads into the final round of the D+D REAL Slovakia Challenge in a three-way tie for the lead with Frenchman Romain Langasque and Aaron Rai from England.

Bidding for his first success on the second-tier circuit since landing the Kazakhstan Open in 2012, Henry was out in front on his own after covering the first 12 holes in four-under before dropping shots at the 15th and 17th.

Closer to home, Irish duo Denis Gaffney and John Prendergast beat 14 other pairing to win the new nine-hole championship staged by the R&A at Royal Troon in the build up to the Open Championship at the Ayrshire course.