The Statistics behind previous Ireland vs. Catalonia Meetings

John Manning breaks down the numbers on previous meeting between the two countries

INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE (Previous Meetings)

October 18/19 1997 at Solius, Catalonia, Spain. Ireland beat Catalonia 14.5 matches to 5.5
July 22/23 2000 at I.G.B., Goatstown, Dublin, Ireland. Ireland beat Catalonia 18.5 matches to 1.5
April 5/6 2002 at Sant Cebria, Spain. Ireland beat Catalonia 11.5 matches to 8.5
March 1/2 2008 at Platja d'Aro, Catalonia. Catalonia beat Ireland 10 matches to 6
April 13/14 2011 at Tralee, Ireland. Ireland beat Catalonia 13.5 matches to 2.5

Here are some notable statistics from the past international challenge matches

TOTAL NUMBER OF PLAYERS USED (UP TO AND INCLUDING 2011 MATCH)
Ireland 29; Catalonia 31.

MOST APPEARANCES
Ray Murphy (Ireland) 5
Sean Downes (Ireland) 4
John Walsh (Ireland) 4
Sean Harkins (Ireland) 3
Marc Lloret (Catalonia) 4
Josep Pellicer (Catalonia) 3
Jordi Saborit (Catalonia) 3
Gines Fernandez (Catalonia) 3

AGGREGATE POINTS
Foursomes: Ireland 19.5; Catalonia 3.5
Fourballs: Ireland 11.5; Catalonia 11.5
Singles: Ireland 32.5; Catalonia 13.5
Overall: Ireland 63.5; Catalonia 28.5

BEST FOURSOMES RECORDS (Excludes Irish players with one win from one)
Sean Downes, John Walsh - 4 wins from 4 matches
Ray Murphy – 4 wins from 5 matches
Sean Harkins - 3 wins from 3 matches
Chris Scannell - 2 wins from 2 matches
Jordi Serra (Catalonia) - 1 win from 1 match

FOURBALLS (Excludes Irish players with one win from one)
Sean Downes, John Walsh - 2.5 points from a possible 4
Geraldine Ward and Sean Harkins – 2 points from a possible 3.
Ray Murphy has a relatively poor record here, 1.5 points from a possible 4
John Walsh and Ray Murphy have played two Fourballs matches together, winning just a half point
Daniel Gimenez (Catalonia) - 2 wins from 2 matches

BEST SINGLES RECORDS
John Walsh – 4 wins from 4 matches
Ray Murphy - 4 points from a possible 5
Jordi Saborit (Catalonia) - 2 wins from 3 matches

Best Overall Records

John Walsh 10.5 points from a possible 12

Sean Downes 9.5 points from a possible 12

Ray Murphy 10.5 points from possible 15

Sean Harkins 7 points from a possible 9

Daniel Gimenez 4 points from a possible 6

Jordi Saborit 4 points from a possible 9

Marc Lloret 4 points from a possible 12

100% Overall Records

Conor O'Hare, Dennis Monaghan, Marian Byrne, Paul O'Hagan, Niall Cuffe, Jonathan Goodall

Other matches between Catalonia and Ireland

June 11 1999 at Chelmsford, England. European Team Championship Group Match - Ireland beat Catalonia 4 matches to 1
May 5 2001 at Lloret Papalus, Catalonia, Spain. European Team Championship Final - Ireland beat Catalonia 6 matches to 3
September 14 2003 at McDonagh, Co. Kildare, Ireland. European Team Championship. Final - Ireland beat Catalonia 5.5 matches to 3.5
August 28 2005 at Overbetuwe, Arnhem, Holland, European Team Championship. Group Match - Ireland beat Catalonia 7 matches to 2
October 21 2007 at Chia, Sardinia, Italy, European Team Championship. Final - Ireland beat Catalonia 6.5 matches to 2.5
September 26 2010 at Lloret Papalus, Catalonia, Spain. European Team Championship Final Catalonia beat Ireland 5 matches to 4.

International Challenge Complete Results

2011

Fourballs:
1. Tracey McGrath & Bryan Delaney halved with Fernando Cano & Paco Salido
2. Paul O'Brien & Frank Dineen lost to Daniel Giménez & Enric Sanz 3&2
3. John Walsh & Jonathan Goodall beat Amador Rodriguez & Albert Gironés 7&6
4. Ray Murphy & Ger Ward beat Marçal Moré & Marc Lloret 5&4
Result: Ireland 2.5 Catalonia 1.5
Foursomes:
1. Bryan Delaney & Paul O'Brien beat Marc Lloret & Marçal Moré 7&6
2. Ger Ward & Jonathan Goodall beat Amador Rodriguez & Albert Gironés 5&4
3. John Walsh & Frank Dineen beat Daniel Giménez & Enric Sanz 2&1
4. Tracey McGrath & Ray Murphy beat Fernando Cano & Paco Salido 1 hole
Result: Ireland 4 Catalonia 0

Singles:
1, John Walsh beat Fernando Cano 2&1
2. Paul O'Brien beat Enric Sanz 5&3
3. Ger Ward beat Marçal Moré 2&1
4. Frank Dineen beat Amador Rodriguez 4&3
5. Jonathan Goodall beat Daniel Giménez 2 holes
6. Tracey McGrath lost to Albert Gironés 3&2
7. Bryan Delaney beat Marc Lloret 2&1
8. Ray Murphy beat Paco Salido 5&4

Result: Ireland 7 Catalonia 1

Overall Result: Ireland 13.5 Catalonia 2.5

2008

FOURSOMES
Catalan names first
Jordi Serra & Daniel Gimenez beat Geraldine Ward & Ray Murphy 1up
Marçal Moré & Marc Garcia lost to John Cahill & Darren O'Reilly 6&5
Salvador Garangou & Joan Perich lost to Sean Downes & John Walsh 3&2
Daniel Coleman & Marc Lloret lost to Chris Scannell & Sean Harkins 2&1
Catalonia 1 Ireland 3

FOURBALLS
Catalan names first
Jordi Serra & Daniel Gimenez beat Geraldine Ward & Chris Scannell 1up
Salvador Garangou & Joan Perich beat Darren O'Reilly & Sean Harkins 1 up
Marçal Moré & Marc Garcia lost to Sean Downes & John Walsh 1 up
Daniel Coleman & Marc Lloret beat Ray Murphy & John Cahill 3&2
Catalonia 3 Ireland 1
Saturday overnight Catalonia 4 Ireland 4

SINGLES
Catalan names first
Daniel Gimenez beat John Cahill 3&2
Jordi Serra lost to Sean Harkins 2up
Marçal Moré beat Chris Scannell 2up
Joan Perich beat Darren O'Reilly 6&5
Daniel Coleman beat Geraldine Ward 6&5
Marc Garcia beat Sean Downes 3&2
Salvador Garangou lost to John Walsh 3&2
Marc Lloret beat Ray Murphy 2up
Catalonia 6 Ireland 2

Overall Result Catalonia 10 Ireland 6

2002

FOURBALLS
Ray Murphy & John Walsh lost to Toni Yuste & Angel Granados 4&3
Colin Somers & David Hayden halved with Jaume Pallares & Juan Francisco Salido
William Buckley & Eddie Carey lost to Gines Fernandez & Jaume Guardiola 2&1
Chris Scannell & John Cahill lost to Marc Lloret & Jordi Saborit 1 hole
Sean Downes & Mark Millar halved with James Marshall & Josep Pellicer
Fourballs Score: Ireland 1 Catalonia 4

FOURSOMES
John Cahill & William Buckley lost to Jaume Pallares & Juan Francisco Salido 2&1
Chris Scannell & Ray Murphy beat Angel Granados & Antonio Yuste 6&4
Mark Millar & Colin Somers lost to Marc Lloret & Jordi Saborit 4&3
Sean Downes & David Hayden beat Gines Fernandez & Jaume Guardiola 3&1
John Walsh & Eddie Carey beat James Marshall & Josep Pellicer 2&1
Foursomes Score: Ireland 3 Catalonia 2
Overnight Score: Ireland 4; Catalonia 6.

SINGLES
Eddie Carey beat Juan Francisco Salido 2&1
Mark Millar halved with Jaume Pallares
John Cahill beat James Marshall 5&4
Colin Somers lost to Gines Fernandez 2 holes
Ray Murphy beat Jaume Guardiola 3&2
David Hayden beat Antonio Yuste 6&5
Chris Scannell beat Angel Granados 4&2
John Walsh beat Marc Lloret 5&3
William Buckley lost to Jordi Saborit 2&1
Sean Downes beat Josep Pellicer 4&3
Singles Score: Ireland 7.5 Catalonia 2.5

Overall Result: Ireland 11.5 Catalonia 8.5

2002

FOURSOMES
Sean Harkins & Conor O'Hare beat James Marshall & Josep Pellicer 2&1
Derry McCarthy & Hubert Kelly halved with Gines Fernandez & Angel Granados
Marian Byrne & Sean Downes beat Jordi Saborit & Ramon Carrera 3&2
Ray Murphy & Niall Cuffe beat Marc Lloret and Joan Martinez 7&6
Geraldine Ward & Dennis Monaghan beat Jaume Pallares & Oscar Garcia 6&5.
Foursomes Score Ireland 4.5; Catalonia 0.5.

FOURBALLS
Sean Harkins & Conor O'Hare beat James Marshall & Josep Pellicer 3&2
Derry McCarthy & Hubert Kelly beat Jaume Pallares & Oscar Garcia 6&4
Marian Byrne & Sean Downes beat Jordi Saborit & Ramon Carrera 1 hole
Ray Murphy & Niall Cuffe beat Marc Lloret and Joan Martinez 6&4
Geraldine Ward & Dennis Monaghan beat Gines Fernandez & Angel Granados 4 &3.
Fourballs Score: Ireland 5; Catalonia 0.
Overnight Score: Ireland 9.5; Catalonia 0.5.

SINGLES
Sean Harkins lost to Joan Martinez 2 holes
Dennis Monaghan beat Ramon Carrera 6&5
Niall Cuffe beat Jaume Pallares 4&3
Geraldine Ward beat Oscar Garcia 8&7
Hubert Kelly beat Angel Granados 7&6
Conor O'Hare beat Josep Pellicer 2&1
Marian Byrne beat James Marshall 1 hole
Sean Downes beat Jordi Saborit 4&3
Derry McCarthy beat Marc Lloret 4&3
Ray Murphy beat Gines Fernandez 3&2.
Singles Score: Ireland 9 Catalonia 1

Overall Result: Ireland 18.5 Catalonia 1.5

1997