NEWPORT, Wales -- Nick Faldo, Europe's Ryder Cup Captain for 2008, was in the gallery at The Celtic Manor Resort on Tuesday to watch a thrilling conclusion to The 2006 Junior Ryder Cup, which ended in a 6-6 tie.
New Yorker Cassandra Blaney struck the defining blow, holing for a half at the 18th to deny Europe, captained by Welshman Andy Ingram, a fourth straight victory in the two-day contest.
Blaney and her partner, Utah State Amateur champion Tony Mapu Finau, had been involved in a ding-dong battle with Germany's Maximilian Kieffer and Belgium's Laura Gonzales-Escallon in the final of the four mixed fourball matches out on the course.
The American pair moved 1-up at the 12th and, despite coming under severe pressure over the closing holes, they hung on gamely. Blaney's par at the last secured the match-leveling point.
Earlier in the afternoon, Isabelle Lendl ensured she would leave Wales boasting a 100 percent record after partnering Drew Kittleson to a 3 & 1 victory over the German duo of Sean Einhaus and Saskia Hausladen.
Lendl, the daughter of eight-time Grand Slam tennis champion Ivan Lendl, was 2-under-par for 17 holes to add to her impressive showing in Monday's fourball win alongside Vicky Hurst.
"It has been fun and a real honor to represent my country in The Junior Ryder Cup. I'm back to school tomorrow but I will leave with some good memories, although we could have won it," said the 15-year-old, whose famous dad was undergoing root canal treatment and had yet to learn of his daughter's second victory.
Another of the leading girls on show in the competition, 14-year-old Scottish starlet Carly Booth, partnered Norwegian Are Friestad to a 3 & 2 success over Andrew Yun and Kristen Schelling, which helped to erase her disappointment at losing in the previous day's same-sex fourballs.
"I am sure there are some future Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup players here," said Faldo, before presenting each team with a crystal trophy at the closing ceremony.
"I think that both teams put on a great spectacle, so hopefully people will realize the impressive standards of these players," said Ingram, who had captained Europe to victory in Ohio two years ago. "There is a slight disappointment at not winning, but hopefully another Welshman in Ian Woosnam can do that later this week."
Tuesday Mixed Fourball Results:
Anders Kristiansen / Carlota Ciganda (EUR) def. Philip Francis / Esther Choe, 2 & 1
Drew Kittleson / Isabelle Lendl (USA) def. Sean Einhaus / Saskia Hausladen (EUR), 3 & 1
Are Friestad / Carly Booth (EUR) def. Andrew Yun / Kristen Schelling, 3 & 2
Bud Cauley / Vicky Hurst (USA) def. Pedro Figueiredo / Marta Silva (EUR), 3 & 2
Victor Dubuisson / Giulia Molinaro (EUR) def. Joe Monte / Brittany Altomare, 4 & 3
Tony Mapu Finau and Cassandra Blaney (USA) def. Maximilian Kieffer / Laura Gonzales-Escallon (EUR), 1-hole
Monday Fourball Results:
Philip Francis / Drew Kittleson (USA) def. Anders Kristiansen / Are Friestad (EUR), 3 & 1
Vicky Hurst / Isabelle Lendl (USA) def. Carlota Ciganda / Marta Silva (EUR), 1-hole
Esther Choe / Kristen Schelling (USA) def. Carly Booth / Giulia Molinaro (EUR), 1-hole
Pedro Figueiredo / Victor Dubuisson (EUR) def. Joe Monte / Tony Mapu Finau (USA), 2 & 1
Sean Einhaus / Maximilian Kieffer (EUR) def. Bud Cauley / Andrew Yun (USA), 4 & 2
Laura Gonzales-Escallon / Saskia Hausladen (EUR) def. Brittany Altomare and Cassandra Blaney (USA), 2 & 1
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