Finland literally ran away with this year’s Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup winning the International Team Tournament by a handsome eleven shots.

Miro Veijalainen (71) and Tapio Pulikkanen (69) recorded a two under par final round of 140 in so doing increased their overnight lead by eight shots on second placed Norway. Finland finished with a 72 hole team aggregate of 565, three under par. They were the only team to break par.

Playing in tough conditions, at the Los Lagartos Country Club on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, made so by the wind and tight pin positions, in general contributed to the higher scoring.

“Course was really tough today,” said Ryan Dreyer, the leading South African in the individual competition, after his round.

South Africa recorded a 148, made up of 76 from Ryan Dreyer and 72 from Daniel Hammond. This got the two players to a twenty four over par team score of 592. They finished ninth.

The individual competition ended up being a closely fought affair.

Overnight leader Martin Kim (78) of Argentina looked like securing the honours until he triple bogeyed the penultimate hole and bogeyed the last hole. He finished tied fifth, three shots off the pace.

Andrew Sullivan (68), of England, and Espen Kofstad (72), of Norway, finished at the top of the leader board with a three under par 72 hole aggregate of 281.

The two players went into a sudden death playoff. They both played hole 18 twice in regulation. However for the third playoff hole they played the ninth. Sullivan’s par was good enough to wrest the trophy from his Norwegian opponent.

By winning this tournament Sullivan earned himself an exemption into next year’s British Amateur.

Ryan Dreyer finished on a fifteen over par 295. Two shots adrift was his team mate, Daniel Hammond. They finished tied in sixteenth and twenty fourth place respectively.

Most of the players in the Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup now move over to play a practice round at the Highlands Park Country Club in preparation for the staging of the 115^th Argentine Amateur Championship.

This is made up of a 36 hole stroke play qualifying round, in which eighteen holes are played by all contestants on Tuesday and Wednesday. The leading sixty four players then move through to compete in the match play stages, the winner being crowned the Argentine Amateur Champion for 2010.

All the match play games are over eighteen holes, except the final which will be over thirty six. The Final will be played on Sunday.

The venue for this prestigious championship is, according to Ryan Dreyer, about ten minutes drive from Los Lagartos Country Club, which is approximately forty five minutes from the Buenos Aires city centre.

Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup

Los Lagartos Country Club, Buenos Aires, Argentina

(Par: 71; 72 holes: 284)

Final Results Leading Scores in Individual Competition

281 – Andrew Sullivan (ENG) (67,76,70,68), Espen Kofstad (NOR) (70,70,69,72)

(Sullivan won with a par on the third playoff hole)

282 – Miro Veijalainen (FIN) (72,72,67,71)

283 – Tapio Pulkkanen (FIN) (70,75,69,69)

284 – Ryan McCarthy (AUS) (72,68,73,71), Martin Kim (ARG) (71,64,71,78)

286 – Franco Romero (ARG) (77,67,70,72), Goncalo Pinto (POR) (74,68,71,73)

289 – Rowan Caron (NED) (75,70,72,72)

290 – Tomas Cocha (ARG) (75,70,73,72), Scott Salmon (ESP) (69,69,76,76)

South African Players Scores:

295 – Ryan Dreyer (75,75,69,76)

297 – Daniel Hammond (79,72,74,72)

Final Results in International Team Tournament

(Par: 142: 72 holes: 568)

565 – Finland (142,147,136,140)

576 – Norway (143,142,143,148)

577 – England (140,152,143,142)

581 – Argentina (149,141,143,148)

582 – Spain (144,144,146,148)

583 – Australia (150,140,149,144)

588 – Portugal (152,146,145,145)

592 – South Africa (154,147,143,148)

600 – Uruguay (145,143,155,157)

604 – Mexico (143,159,150,152)

605 – Canada (151,153,154,147)

607 – Colombia (146,153,148,160)

610 – New Zealand (149,151,151,159)