11 Oct 2011 at 06:47 | Published by: JJM | Views: 9418 | News search

Team Uppsala BGK at the Opening Ceremony.  (Photo by Pasi Aho 2011)

The men of Uppsala BGK fulfilled a longstanding dream in Vergiate: to win the European Cup in some other style of minigolf than felt courses, when BGS Hardenberg-Pötter is participating. The youthful Swedish team defeated the ageing legends of Hardenberg by 6 points 1205—1211 at the beton course of Vergiate, a traditional Central European style of minigolf course, which is only rarely played in Sweden.

To win the most legendary German club team in their strongest playing system is something what the Uppsala stars Anders Olsson, Carl-Johan Ryner and others have been waiting for, years. A scalp that the current Hardenberg team members will probably never take from the Swedes, who are simply too high above the others in their own strongest playing system, felt, in this generation of minigolfers.

23 points behind Hardenberg, the Italian team GSP Vergiate made good use of their home field advantage, and took the third place in men’s team competition. Vergiate started the last round in tied points with MC Olten, but played their best game in the final as the Swiss played their worst, finishing 13 points behind Vergiate in 4th place.

Another Swedish team Skoghalls BGK was 5th, 26 points behind Olten, and SK Tempo Praha from Czech Republic landed 6th, 11 points behind Skoghall.

Women’s team competition was won by MGC Mainz from Germany, 12 points ahead of the Italian GSP Cusano Milanino in 2nd place. More clearly 41 points behind Cusano came DGC Bystrice in third place, after a thriller last round battle against MGC Leeuwarden in 4th place (4 points behind Bystrice), and MC Effretikon and BGC Rot-Gold in tied 5th place (both of them 2 points behind Leeuwarden).

The best female players of the tournament were forever young Alice Kobisch of MGC Mainz (average 28.43), and the Italians Antonella Flamini (avg 29.29) and Anna Bandera (avg 29.71).

The best male player of the week was former German national team head coach Michael Koziol of BGS Hardenberg (average 27.14 in 7 rounds), followed by Ivan Baruscotti (Vergiate) and the Uppsala players Anders Olsson and Marcus Larsson (all three with average 27.57, three points behind Koziol in 7 rounds).

Five players of the Hardenberg team were ranked as low as 13th — 18th in men’s individual ranking, an uncommon sight in this style of minigolf where good coaching can be more important than good playing, and Hardenberg traditionally always had the best coaching and playing strategy. The golden era of BGS Hardenberg may not be over yet, but a nail has now been hit in their coffin.

» results
» website of the tournament

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