Jamie Donaldson’s great year continued with success in the Vivendi Seve Trophy, helping the GB and Ireland team to victory over Continental Europe.

It was the 35-year-old’s debut in the competition, which pits players from the home countries against the best in Europe.

In the four-day tournament, Macclesfield-based Donaldson formed an unbeaten partnership in the fourballs and greensomes with 1999 Walker Cup winner Simon Dyson, defeating Spanish duo Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazábal 2&1 on day one.

The duo halved the second fourball match with Thomas Bjorn and Raphael Jacquelin, then beat rookies Nicolas Colsaerts and Matteo Manassero 2&1 in the Saturday morning greensomes.

Although Donaldson was defeated in his singles match against Francesco Molinari , his contribution helped the team captained by Paul McGinley to a win by 15.5 to 12.5.

"We had great fun," said Donaldson of his successful pairing. "When it wasn’t Dys birdieing it was me birdieing.

"We gelled perfectly in the end and we were very tough to beat."

The UK and Ireland team went into the competition as underdogs and, with a partisan crowd at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Breteche in Paris rooting for the team led by Jean van de Velde, the win was all the more impressive.

The tournament took on extra poignancy due to the death of ever-popular Seve Ballesteros, one of the key instigators of the event, who lost his brave battle with cancer in May.

Donaldson was one of four Seve trophy rookies, alongside Mark Foster, Scott Jamieson and Styal’s David Horsey.

Horsey, currently 34th in this year’s Race to Dubai, also accrued three points, including a crucial half point in his singles match against Colsaerts.