Ireland produced an incredible singles comeback to tie 7.5-7.5 with England and claim the men’s Home Internationals at Hankley Common Golf Club in Hampshire.
Captained for the last time by John Carroll, Ireland was the only nation to win their first two matches, but a 19th title – and a fifth since 2014 – looked unlikely when England beat them 4-1 in the morning foursomes.
However, Castle’s Robert Moran was a rock for the team and led from the front as he made ten birdies but still had to come back from two down with three to play to halve with reigning English Amateur champion John Gough in an incredible match.
Gough was six-under-par, and one down to an inspired Moran after nine holes, but won four of the next six before the Castle man birdied the 16th and 17th to snatch a half as both men went around in 64.
“It’s the best match I’ve ever played in,” said Moran, who was Ireland’s top scorer with five points from six matches. “John is a really good friend of mine, and for us to halve the match with those scores and that standard is bizarre. Neither of us deserved to lose, so it was a fair half.”
With Caolan Rafferty hammering this year’s Amateur champion Laird Shepherd 8&7 in the anchor match and wins for Hugh Foley, TJ Ford, Jack McDonnell and Matt McClean, it all came down to Galway debutant Liam Nolan.
England’s Callan Barrow had a 10-foot birdie putt on the final green to halve their match and give Scotland the title, but it slid past the hole to send the Irish team into ecstasy.
“I honestly wasn’t nervous all day,” Carroll said after Ireland won the singles session 6.5-3.5 in his swansong as captain. “Even when we lost the foursomes this morning, I still had hope in the boys. We saw Scotland beat England 8-2 in singles, and that gave us hope. I’m teetotal, but the boys will have a few pints and rightly so because they deserve it. They’ve been fabulous today and all week. They’ve done Ireland proud.”
Ireland finished with 2.5 points to top the table, Scotland was second with two, England had 1.5, while Wales finished bottom with no points.