BROWN BEATEN IN PLAYOFF FOR EURO TITLE

Less than a week after becoming English champion, Steven Brown came close to adding the European title, losing a playoff to Austria’s Manuel Trappel at Halmstad in Sweden.The pair finished tied on 278, ten under par, but Trappel took the title by a single strokes after a three-hole playoff.Brown (picture © Tom Ward) began the championship in blistering fashion with a course record 65 which gave him a one-shot lead and he kept that advantage despite a second round 71 in windy conditions.But a third round 71 from Trappel on a day of differing weather conditions gave the Austrian a one shot lead from England’s Stiggy Hodgson, who came through with 68 for 209. Brown shot 74 to drop back to a share of third place on 210 alongside Northumberland’s Garrick Porteous.On the final day, Trappel returned 70 but Brown caught him with a closing 68, while Hodgson dropped back to a share of fourth place with 72 for 281.But Brown’s hopes of a national double were denied as Trappel edged the championship in the three-hole playoff.Two more English players, Andrew Cooley and George Thacker finished joint seventh on 284.Leading final scores:278 M Trappel (Aut) 68 69 71 70, S Brown (Eng) 65 71 74 68(Trappel won three-hole playoff by a stroke)279 J Brun (Fra) 69 68 73 69281 T Pieters (Bel) 68 72 71 70, G Stal (Fra) 66 71 73 71, S Hodgson (Eng) 71 60 68 72284 A Cooley (Eng) 69 71 73 71, G Thacker (Eng) 68 69 75 72
Other English scores:285 G Porteous 68 72 70 75287 C Hinton 75 70 73 69288 D Wright 70 73 75 70293 W Harmston 72 74 72 75