The Asia Pacific team defeated Team Europe, which included Carolina Melgrati and Francesca Fiorellini, 20-12 in the fourth edition of the Patsy Hankins Trophy, the women's equivalent of the Bonallack Trophy, which was played in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, on the course of the Al Hamra Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates.
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In the biennial confrontation, which began in 2016 and is dedicated to New Zealander Patsy Hankins (19452015), one of the most respected golf administrators in the world, the score is now three victories to one in favor of the Eastern team, who demonstrated their superiority from the first day with a 7-3 (five foursome matches and five fourball matches). In the second day, with the same format, the Europeans reduced the gap by one point (11.5-8.5), but in the singles the Eastern team took off with a partial score of 8.5 to 3.5.
Patsy Hankins Trophy, results
Carolina Melgrati, who was rested in the first round, then played four matches with two wins. On the opening day, paired with Carolina Lopez-Chacarra Coto (Spa), she defeated Eila Galitsky (Thai)/Vivian Lu (NZ) in the foursome for 1 up and on the second day, together with the Danish Marie Madsens, she defeated Arianna Lau (Hong Kong)/Min-Seo Jeong (Cor) in the foursome for 5&4. She lost the second fourball with Francesca Fiorellini (2&1 from Min-Seo Jeong/Eila Galitsky) and the singles (5&4 from Arianna Lau).
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Francesca Fiorellini played all five matches. In the foursome, together with the Spanish Rocio Tejedo, she tied with Huai-Chien Hsu (Twn)/Vivian Lu (NZ) and lost against Mamika Shinichi/Aira Nagasawa (Gia) for 3&2. In the fourball, with the Swedish Nora Sundberg, she lost by 1 up against Huai-Chien Hsu/Zhou-Shi Yuan (China) and the aforementioned match with Melgrati. Then in the singles she clearly defeated Mamika Shinichi (4&2).
Among the Europeans, led by the Dutch Myrte Eikenaar, no one remained undefeated. The best was the Iberian Lopez-Chacarra Coto, who collected 3.5 points (3 wins, a draw, a defeat). The English Lottie Woad, world number one, Marie Madsens and the Irish Beth Coulter obtained 2.5 points. With two Melgrati and with 1.5 Fiorellini and the Danish Emma Kaisa Dalgaard Bunch.
Among the Asians, led by Joanne McKee of Hong Kong who had led the team to success also in 2018, six obtained 3.5 points. Three undefeated: Taiwanese Huai-Chien Hsu, known as Cindy (2 v, 3 draws), Chinese Zhou Shi Yuan (3 v, 1 d) and Malaysian Mirabel Ting (3 v, 1 d) and with one defeat in five matches, together with 3 wins and a draw, Japanese Aira Nagasawa and Mamika Shinichi and Korean Min-seo Jeong.
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Among the current proettes who participated in the event as amateurs, we remember among others, Australian Hannah Green, Japanese Yuka Saso and Nasa Hataoka, Thai Patty Tavatanakit and Atthaya (now Jeeno) Thitikul, Singaporean Shannon Tan, German Helen Briem and Austrian Emma Spitz.
Two other Italians have competed in the race: Lucrezia Colombotto Rosso (2016) and Bianca Maria Fabrizio (2016, 2018), while Fiorellini was also part of Team Europe in the only success dating back to 2023 (19-13).
