Team Malta and Borg finish second in Corfu

National team players and Royal Malta Golf Club members Andy Borg, Chris Bergedahl and J.J. Micallef registered an excellent result by placing second in the Nations Cup during the Hellenic Open that was played in Corfu, Greece, earlier this month.

Played over the first 54 holes, with the best two individual scores out of three counting on each day, Team Malta had a total of 452 - 11 strokes behind the first team fielded by the host country and five strokes ahead of Slovenia.

The Open also proved to be a personal achievement for Borg.

With 293 (72, 71, 74, 76) over 72 holes played, he secured second place just three shots behind Aaron Leitmannstetter, of Germany, and three ahead of Greece's Vangelis Ginis.

Borg was leading by three strokes after 33 holes but two bogeys and a par on the next three holes to the German's birdie, par and eagle resulted in the Maltese player dropping to second place at the end of the second day's play.

The one shot difference was levelled on the first nine holes on the third day but Leitmannstetter regained a three-shot lead on the back 9.

The final 18 holes were a roller-coaster ride for the top players as the lead was exchanged over with Borg actually levelling and gaining a one shot advantage by the 12th hole of the last day.

However, this was followed by a double bogey on the par-four 13th to give Leitmannstetter the advantage which he maintained until the end of play.

The younger Maltese golfers shared equal fortunes, registering 320 strokes and joint 16th place. Bergedahl's 80, 79, 79 and 82 were played to Micallef's 85, 76, 79 and 82. More importantly, their 70s scores in the second and third days of play were vital to Team Malta's placing in the Nations Cup.

With this result, all three players attained an equitable and historical result for Maltese golf that augurs well for the future.