The Loretto Golf Academy has defended its title in the second Desert Springs and Millfield European Schools Team Championships recently held in the Almeria region of south-east Spain.
The competition, organised jointly by the exclusive Desert Springs Golf resort and Millfield School, was an event open to all schools in the UK and attracted a total of sixty-one players from schools such as Bradfield, Whitgift and Millfield.
The team championships got underway at Desert Springs Resort with a practice round on the championship Indiana course, providing players with the opportunity to experience Europe’s only true desert golf course in preparation for the tournament rounds.
The next day saw the tournament get under way on the Indiana course, where the teams played four ball-better-ball pairs stableford points for team rankings. Team Millfield 1 led the way with 76 points, four under par, followed by Loretto 1 on 73 points, one under par, and Millfield 3 with 72 points, level par.
Team Loretto 2 led the main charge on the field, with an improvement on their first round total by 13 points, achieving 83 stableford points, 11 under par, the best score of the day. Team Loretto 1 maintained the pressure on the field by securing the second best team stableford points score of the day – 79.
After day two, the team rankings took on a different look. Leading the way was Loretto 2 with 153 stabelford points, closely followed by second place Loretto 1, only one stableford point behind, with 152.
With the pressure on, Whitgift 1 improved their position in the rankings from overnight fifth place by posting 132 stableford points, the best score of the day. Going into the final round only separated by one stableford point, Loretto 1 and Loretto 2 were evidently the teams who would battle it out for the championship, however.
Loretto 1 were first to complete their round, recording a score of 128 stableford points. Loretto 2 were up for the challenge, though, and staved off any late challengers by posting a score of 130 points to ensure that they were crowned champions with a three-day total of 283, followed by Loretto 1 with 280 points and Whitgift 1 with 272 points.
Ryan Scott, PGA coach for Loretto Golf Academy, said: “The golf was excellent and a very valuable experience for Loretto Golf Academy in preparation for the 2015 season.”
