The 2023 European Team Shield Championships have been completed at Costa Navarino in Greece.
The events, for nations not competing in this year's European Division 1 or 2 Team Championships, are contested over four days by teams of four players.
Countries play one round of stroke play qualifying, before three rounds of match play.
On the Ladies’ side, it is Poland who took home the win. They faced a strong Bulgarian Team in the final but managed to secure the three points available on the day. A 4&3 win in the foursome match helped the Polish players gain confidence for the singles, with a 1up and a 3&2 win over the Bulgarian players.
The win marks the second time the Polish ladies' team has won the Team Shield, and also the second time they've defeated Bulgaria in the final to do so.
Luxembourg and Greece fought for third place, and the home team of Greece managed to secure the 3 points on home soil. Two 2up wins and a strong 6&5 win were more than enough to occupy the third place on the podium and secure a bronze medal.
On the Men’s side, matches were tighter between the two teams who faced each other in the final, but the Greek Team fought well enough to claim the trophy on home soil, securing two crucial points over Malta.
With a first lost foursome match on the 18th hole, the Greek team kept on pushing and went on to claim a 1up win in the second match, as well as a 2&1 win in the final match.
The win is a second consevutive won for Greece in the men's Team Shield, who now have their name engraved on the trophy for a record fourth time. The defeat for Malta marks a fourth straight runner-up finish in the event.
The battle for third place saw Bulgaria facing Cyprus, and with two wins in the first two matches, it is Cyprus who took a hold of the final spot on the podium. A 3&2 and a 2&1 win were enough to secure the bronze medal, even though the last match was won by the Bulgarian team 2&1.
