Golf
Britain retain Seve Trophy
2009-09-27 16:06
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France - Britain and Ireland won the Vivendi Trophy for a fifth consecutive time after taking an insurmountable lead during Sunday's singles matches.
The team captained by three-time Ryder Cup winner Paul McGinley took a 15-7 lead with seven singles matches still to be decided after Rory McIlroy defeated Henrik Stenson by one hole and Graeme McDowell beat Robert Karlsson 3 and 2.
England's Anthony Wall, who picked up a shoulder injury, was unable to play against Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and both teams were awarded a half point before the matches started, meaning that Britain and Ireland needed only 1 point from the nine remaining matchups to win the event.
Britain and Ireland players set up their victory during Saturday's greensomes and foursomes, when they opened up a seven-point lead over their rivals at Saint-Nom-la-Breteche Golf Club.
The Vivendi Trophy, a biennial event formerly known as the Seve Trophy after Seve Ballesteros, was first played in 2000. Continental Europe won the inaugural event before Britain and Ireland won five in a row.
Ballesteros, who has undergone four operations to remove a cancerous brain tumor, had hoped to attend this weekend's play but decided to stay home after feeling tired from his treatment.
"I am very sorry I cannot be with you this year," Ballesteros said in a video message. "I just finished my radiotherapy and that really makes me very tired. That was expected. Hopefully I should be OK in about one month."
Ballesteros added that he was looking forward for the seventh edition of the tournament in 2011.