July 12, 2010

CARTAGENA, Spain – With help from South Carolina rising sophomore Amanda Strang and a strong contingent of other collegiate standouts, Sweden captured the European Ladies Team Championship on Sunday with a 4-3 victory over host nation Spain at La Manga Club.

A tight contest throughout, the decisive match went to 19 holes with Tennessee rising junior Nathalie Mansson sinking a three-foot putt to defeat Spain’s Ane Urchegui to give the Swedes the victory. Two other singles matches in the championship went to extra holes with Caroline Hedwall – the reigning NCAA Champion from Oklahoma State – falling to Georgia’s Marta Silva and Alabama’s Camilla Lennarth defeating Mirela Prat.

Strang paired with Mansson in a morning foursome match, falling to Silva and Carlota Ciganda, 7 and 5. But Strang was a big part of the Swedes advancing to the championship as she and Mansson defeated Germany’s duo of Lara Katzy and Stephanie Kirchmayr in 19 holes in Saturday’s semifinal, and her play in the stroke play qualifying round helped Sweden to the No. 1 overall seed.

Sweden defeated Germany 5.5-1.5 in the semifinal match after downing France 4.5-2.5 in the quarterfinals.

Also competing in the tournament was Benedicte Toumpsin, who played for her home country of Belgium. She helped her team to a 13th-place finish with a win over Ireland in the Flight B consolation match. She defeated Ireland’s Victoria Bradshaw, 6 and 4, to help the Belgians to a 4.5-0.5 win.