Team Europe will take a slender one-point lead over Team North America into the final day singles session of the 2025 Fightmaster Cup at Roganstown.
In the eighth staging of the competition which pits one-armed golfers from both continents in Ryder Cup-style matchplay format, Team Europe, led by Roganstown’s own Cian Arthurs, are bidding to win back the trophy they lost in Louisville, Kentucky back in 2023.
Europe held a 4.5-3.5 lead after the opening day, and the spoils were shared equally on day two.
Despite a valiant comeback in the morning foursomes, Arthurs and Trim’s Brendan Swan, playing in the leading match, lost to Jesse Florkowski and Ryan Matthews on the final hole. The two sides took a point apiece in matches two and three, but in the anchor match, Lee Valley’s Martin O’Mahony and England’s Rob Jenkins maintained their unbeaten record as a pairing with a narrow win over Rob Walden and Sophia Howard, ensuring Europe would remain a point ahead.
In the afternoon fourball session, the visitors claimed the opening point but Arthurs, paired with Steve Hutchinson, got European noses back in front with a 3&1 win. Swan and former world champion Rob Paul fell 4&3 in the penultimate tie, but O’Mahony was again pivotal in ensuring that Europe would take the lead into the final round, this time teaming up with Jim Darragh to secure a 2UP win.
The final day sees all 12 players from each side square off in singles, with Europe needing to win six points to wrestle back the trophy, while a 14-14 tie will see the cup remain in North American hands.
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