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Jun 16th, 2016
Who would win if golf decided the Euros?
Ronnie the GolfPug gets scientific...
Words: Tim Southwell Photography: Getty Images
Ronnie the GolfPug has come up with a fool-proof matrix to figure out which team would win the 2016 European Football Championships based on country representation in the US Open at Oakmont.
He's confident this science is 100% cat proof. Here's how it works: For example, Russia have no players in the US Open (thank Christ – imagine the ultras invading Oakmont?!) so they failed to qualify for our Golf Euros.
We're just glad to be here...
After disappointing qualifying campaigns, the likes of Denmark and Russia failed to get any players into the Euros, but Wales (Jamie Donaldson), Ireland (Shane Lowry), Austria (Bernd Wiesberger) and Italy (Matteo Manassero) proved their pluck to take their places in France. Unfortunately their paper-thin squads saw the savage Oakmont layout get the better of them and they failed to progress from the group stages.
Quarter finals
France 3 Germany 2
Germany (Martin Kaymer & Max Kieffer) and Northern Ireland (Rory McIlroy & Graeme McDowell) clinched third place spots and headed proudly into the quarter finals. However, Germany came up against France (Gregory Bourdy, Gary Stal, Romain Wattel) in the 2nd round and were soundly beaten based on the fact that France had an extra player for the whole match.
Spain 3 Northern Ireland 2
Northern Ireland came up against Spain (Rafa Cabrero-Bello), John Rahm (a) & Sergio Garcia) in the quarters and, again, came up just short after chasing Sergio shadows for the entire second half.
Semi Finals
Sweden 6 Germany 3
The semi-finals saw Germany come up against Sweden. A hum-dinger of a first half saw Germany go into the break 3-2 up, but they were no match for the squad-deep Sweden side that included Peter Hanson, David Lingmerth, Mikael Lundberg, Alex Noren, Sebastian Soderberg & Henrik Stenson. A second half rout saw Sweden sail into the final.
England 11 Spain 3
England give the reigning champions a right good pasting in the other semi-final with Mathew Baldwin, Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sam Horsfield (a), Andrew 'Beef' Johnston, Justin Rose, Lee Slattery, Andy Sullivan, Lee Westwood & Danny Willett running rings round the Spaniards. England go into the final as firm favourites...
Euro Final 2016
Sweden 6 England 11
The whole of England shuts down for their first final in 50 years. The pubs are full of expectant fans and the country is awash with St Georges flags. 237 years of hurt are finally ended as England taking their Swedish opponents to the cleaners with 11 unanswered goals in the first half. England players spent the whole of the 2nd half playing cards in the centre circle, but even then Sweden could only manage 6 goals. Cue pandemonium across England.