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RESULT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN FRIENDSHIP GAMES 2010
22/11/2010
Malta made a clean sweep by winning all of the four matches scheduled for this fourth edition of the Mediterranean Friendship games hosted by the Maltese Olympic Committee.
With three players representing each country the format of the competition was decided to be played on one individual and one four ball better ball matchplay (scratch) games on each of the two days of the tournament.
On day one, Andy Borg won his individual match 2 up on Alessandro Leondari whilst Peter Satariano and JJ Micallef won their match 5&3 over Luigi Cardio and Pio Ranieri. Thus the Maltese players garnished the maximum possible points and required only one halved match in the second day to clinch golf for Malta.
Andy & Alessandro halved the first hole setting the level of their match. In fact they had eight birdies between them in a very closely fought match that saw the lead change over throughout the game with neither player going more than one up until the very end. With the match all square until the 10th hole, Andy birdied the 11th to go one up, then Alessandro birdied the 12th to square the match, Andy birdied the 13th to go one up again for Alessandro to birdie the 16th to square the match with two holes to play after both players sharing the 14th and 15th holes. Both player’s drives on the 17th were well hit with Alessandro having to chip his second shot over the greenside bunker whilst Andy having to play out of the same bunker. Andy’s stiffed his bunker shot to a couple of feet from the pin to go one up after Alessandro’s missed put. The Sicilian then conceded the last hole for a Maltese victory.
In the other match, the Maltese players dovetailed extremely well and never lost sight of their goal despite a small floundering in towards the end of the first nine. With both players making winning putts they managed to secure a four up lead after six holes only to see it dissipate to 2 up after successive bad drives on the 7th and 8th holes. A birdie on the 10th with another on the 12th settled the game for Malta going 5 up after 12 holes. Despite losing the 13th, the Maltese then closed the match on the 15th hole after their counterparts failed to find the green on this short par three hole.
The second day was played in glorious weather at the Royal Malta Golf Club in Marsa and it was another glorious day for Maltese golf.
After the first day’s results the Sicilians requested to retain the same format of players as they wished to re-try their luck but it was not to be their day as the Malta players played even better.
The match between Andy Borg and Alessandro Leonardi started on similar veins as their first encounter with neither player giving an inch to each other and the game remaining all square until the sixth hole. But then Andy showed his determination and with birdie, par, birdie, par, par, birdie to Alessandro’s par, bogey, par, bogey, par, par went five up on the 12th. Both players then made par on the next two holes thus ending the match on the 14th with a 5&4 win for Malta.
The second match, between Peter Satariano and JJ Micallef for Malta against Luigi Cardio and Pio Ranieri for Sicily, had a similar start with the match remaining all square until the fifth. But then the Maltese players sharpened their game and with a par, birdie, birdie on the next three holes went three up. The ninth hole was halved. Then Peter and JJ went birdie, par, birdie to go dormie six. All that was needed to win the match was another halved hole – which the Maltese duly supplied on the 13th with solid pars thus winning their match 6&5.