International Challenge - The Catalan records and statistics
INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE - CATALAN RECORDS
All of the members of the successful Catalan side at Lloret were too shy to speak to us so we've decided to take a close look at some of the Catalan statistics from the 15 years and 6 matches of the International Challenge.
Catalonia has won two of the six overall matches. Catalonia has scored a total of 42 individual points. 38 of those 42 points were garnered in Catalonia. Catalonia has taken just four individual points during the 2 matches in Ireland. Joan Martinez and Albert Gironés are the only Catalans to win singles matches on Irish soil. Daniel Giménez and Enric Sanz won a fourball. Halved matches were delivered by Gines Fernandez and Angel Granados in a 2000 foursomes and by Fernando Cano and Paco Salido in a 2011 fourball encounter.
The 1997, 2000 and 2002 matches featured 10 players a side. 2008 and 2011 saw 8 players represent each association while it was 12 players per team at Lloret in June. That means that a total of 116 points have been up for grabs in the accumulated six matches. Catalonia has used a total of 40 different players in the six matches (Ireland has used 41).
Marc Lloret has played in five of the six Challenges - a Catalan record. Marc has won five points out of a possible fifteen. His foursomes record is 40%; a return Marc has replicated in fourballs. Marc Lloret has won just one of his five singles, but that one win was notable. It was against the great Ray Murphy, at Platja d'Aro in 2008.
Daniel Giménez, Josep Pellicer, Jordi Saborit and Gines Fernandez have all made three appearances in the International Challenge.
Overall, foursomes have not represented a happy hunting ground for the Catalans. Catalans won as many foursomes points (3.5) on home territory in 2014 as they had accumulated in total from that format in the five matches '97 - '11. 6.5 of those seven points overall have been won in Catalonia.
The Catalans actually lead overall in fourballs. That format has delivered 15.5 points for the players in golden yellow and red. The Catalans have won three fourball sessions outright - 2002, 2008 and 2011 and they split the better ball encounters in the inaugural international challenge at Solius in 1997. The only other session advantage to Catalonia came in the 2008 singles (6-2).
Daniel Giménez boasts the best individual percentage return of all the Catalan players.
Giménez has won 6 of his 9 matches for a 66% overall performance. Daniel has been particularly successful in the fourball format, with a 100% record in three matches contested. Enric Sanz partnered Giménez to two of those three fourball successes. Giménez has also been involved in 2 foursomes victories, including the scalps of Irish legends Ward and Murphy in 2008 (in partnership with Jordi Serra). Of those who have played more than one singles match, Jordi Saborit holds the best record, with 2 wins (against Noel Joyce in '97 and William Buckley in '02) from his three matches. Jordi's overall record reads four wins from nine matches. Enric Sanz has produced three wins from his six matches, defeating Ian Dillon in a 2014 singles in addition to his fourball successes alongside Giménez.
Cumulatively, Catalonia has won 19.5 singles points (Ireland has won 38.5). Within Catalonia, the aggregate score reads: Catalonia 38; Ireland 42. Catalonia has won 14 fourball points on home soil compared to 6 for Ireland. While the overall match score is Ireland 4; Catalonia 2, within Catalonia, the tally is now two each, with Catalan wins in 2008 and 2014 equalising the earlier reverses of 1997 and 2002.
