Ireland 3-4 Denmark
Denmark’s Kristian Hjort Bressum wielded a dagger even deeper than Christian Eriksen’s to Irish hearts as he produced a performance of similar brilliance to steal a place in the European Amateur Team Championship final where they will face Italy.
Bressum, who appeared to be the weak link for the Dane’s, beat Thomas Higgins on the 20th thanks to a birdie as they came back from 2-0 down to win 4-3 courtesy of four wins from five singles matches.
Irish players were dreaming of a Saturday showdown with England, they will get that, but it will be for a bronze medal.
Higgins will wonder how this got away from him. In truth, he can’t be faulted, he did nothing wrong. Standing on the fifteenth tee 2UP, the Roscommon rookie played the remaining four holes in two-under-par but Bressum was in turbo charge, playing the 14th to the 20th in six-under, including four birdies in a row from the 15th.
It appeared to be plain sailing for the boys in green in a sun drenched Killarney Golf and Fishing Club as Stuart Grehan/Caolan Rafferty combined once again for a 3&1 win over Mads Heller and Mads Viemose Larsen in the opening foursomes match.
Then 17-year-old Fota Island rookie John Doyle stole the show and produced the moment of the day for Ireland as he rolled in a 35-foot birdie on the 18th to give himself and Matthew McClean a 2UP victory over Hjort Bressum and Oscar Holm Bredkjaer.
At 2-0, Ireland were cruising, but their celebrations were cut short by a prompt team huddle to remind them that the job wasn’t done.
The big story of the day seemed like it would be the Italian job after they trounced tournament favourites England 5.5-1.5 but the Danes cast their net and came up with a barrage of birdies.
In the afternoon singles, Denmark needed four victories and they were sent on their way early when Holm Bradkjaer eased to a 6&5 win over Amateur finalist Gavin Tiernan.
Grehan, sent out in the top match for the second successive day with three wins under his belt, ran out of steam in the searing heat as Heller got revenge with a 3&2 win.
Suddenly, with McClean behind early in the back nine and with Doyle and Higgins holding narrow advantages there was another chapter to be written.
Having passed up a great chance to move 2UP after 15, Doyle held his nerve to birdie the par-5 16th.
Despite finding the water with his tee shot on 17, the teenager had enough in the tank to have his par putt conceded and put a point on the board for Ireland and keep them 3-2 in front.
The smile had barely left his face before the scores were tied at 3-3 as McClean fell 3&2 to Andreas Trym Dam Fogth as Ireland’s mid-am contingent grew tired after two 36 hole days.
The large crowd scurried from the 17th green to the 16th to see if Higgins could hold out against Bressum in a winner takes all tie.
The 16th was halved in birdies as was the 17th to leave Higgins 1UP going down the last. And the drama wasn’t over.
Bressum hit a corker down the 18th fairway before Higgins’ tee shot nestled behind a tree.
Higgins nailed his second, flying the green onto the back slope while Bressum flighted a wedge to 6-feet.
Higgins did brilliantly to chip to 3-feet but the door was left ajar for Bressum to go complete his Poulter-esque run and he stepped through the gap to bring the match down the 19th.
The Dane pushed his tee shot, ricocheting off the rocks and finding a sliver of grass on what is otherwise a stony beach.
Higgins played safe with his driver but arguably ended up with the more difficult of the two approaches into the 19th, playing off a downslope from the 2nd tee with water behind the green.
He found the back fringe while Bressum hacked over the green but did chip to four feet.
Higgins left his putt short and Bressum walked in his par for the half.
The 20th was all about pitch and putt. After two bombs off the tee, Higgins pitched to 8-feet while Bressum, who was only 30 yards short of the green, wedged to 6-feet.
Higgins’ putt turned its nose up on the high side and Bressum made no mistake, completing one of the most magnificent comebacks seen in European Championships history.
Bressum’s face, a ghastly white from dollops of factor 50, he is a ghost this Irish team will find hard to shake off.
Scoring HERE
