It could hardly have been any closer in the England versus Scotland schools golf international at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lytham St Annes, Lancshire.
The boys' match was a draw at 9pt apiece and England won the girls' match 5-4.
The Scottish boys took what could have been a decisive lunchtime lead by winning the foursomes 4-2. They led 9-5 overall with a 7 and 5 win by team captain Marc Watt (Fraserburgh Academy) in the top singles, backed up by a two-hole victory for Callum Bruce (Banff Academy), but England won the last four singles to snatch an honourable draw.
It was England who led, 2-1, after the girls' foursomes and the home team held on to that narrow advantage by sharing the singles honours 3-3.
Everything hinged on the final singles in which Jasmine Mackintosh (Hazlehead Academy) played England's Rebecca Earl.
A nip-and-tuck match ended with Earl the winner by the narrowest of margins, one hole.
 |
| Marc Watt (Fraserburgh Academy) |
England names first
ENGLAND BOYS 9, SCOTLAND BOYS 9
Foursomes (2-4)
J Craddock and O Huggins bt M Watt (Fraserburgh) and D Howie (Peebles) 2 and 1.
J Hopkins and E Dimayuga lost to Craig Leith (Hazlehead) and Connor Wilson (Haddington) 3 and 2.
J Trewhitt and W Marshall lost to G Greer (Carluke) and G Dalziel (Airdrie) 2 and 1.
R James and M Freeman lost to C Bruce (Banff) and K Reid (Bearsden) 1 hole.
T Plumb and G Holmes lost to S Locke (Stonehaven) and R Watson (Dollar) 4 and 3.
W Hopkins and J Wilson bt A Moir (Elgin) and J Paterson (St Andrews) 1 hole.
SINGLES (7-5)
Craddock lost to Watt 7 and 5.
Huggins bt Greer 1 hole.
Hopkins bt Howie 6 and 4.
Dimayuga lost to Bruce 2 holes.
Trewhitt halved with Locke.
Marshall halved with Leith
James lost to Watson 5 and 4.
Freeman lost to Paterson 3 and 2.
Plumb bt Dalziel 2 and 1.
Holmes bt Moir 6 and 4.
Hopkins bt Wilson 3 and 2.
ENGLAND GIRLS 5, SCOTLAND GIRLS 4
Foursomes (2-1)
L Watson and A Taylor lost to Jillian Farrell (Dumbarton) and Molly Richmond (Strathaven) 1 hole.
A Giles and M Thomas bt Louise Duncan (Largs) and Kirsty Brodie (Kirriemuir) 4 and 2.
Jessica Hall and Rebecca Earl bt Jennifer Rankine (Govan) and Jasmine Mackintosh (Hazlehead) 4 and 2.
Singles (3-3)
Walton lost to Farrell 5 and 3.
Taylor halved with Duncan.
Giles lost to Kirsty Brodie 2 and 1.
Thomas bt Richmond 5 and 3.
Hall halved with Rankine.
Earl bt Mackintosh 1 hole.