Just the way Captain Dean Robertson chalked it up in his backpack of tricks.
America, Foursomes specialists.
Great Britain & Ireland, Singles slayers.
In what instantly became GB&I’s greatest Walker Cup comeback and the most shocking turnaround in match history, the George Herbert Walker’s game-growing gift will remain on this side of the Atlantic for the first time since 2015.
A devastating 4-0 morning Foursomes loss in what’s normally USA’s format nemesis left GB&I three points behind heading into Singles, where they’ve been 49 points worse since 2005.
With USA leading 9.5 to 6.5 at lunchtime, GB&I needed seven of ten points on offer to prevent the Americans from taking the Walker Cup home.
Robertson frontloaded his afternoon lineup in a desperate bid to put blue on the few boards around Lahinch.
Home country favorite Stuart Grehan opened slowly before closing strong just as he had in all of his matches.
“I was nearly asleep after [the morning session],” Grehan said. “I was so deflated. I have to say the lads came in — in fairness, I think Tyler might have said, we’re still in this. Once the tunes got going, I was like F it.”
Luke Poulter was next, holding off a resurgent Ethan Fang 3&1 in the second contest.
Jack Whaley, the U.S. Amateur champion, then smoked William Jennings in an 8&7 shocker given how well the impressive American played up to that point.
Tyler Weaver then knocked off Western Amateur champion and U.S. Amateur runner-up Jay Leng 4&3.
With GB&I’s Conner Graham trailing the steady American phenom Miles Russell and the final two matches featuring an injured Ben Bolton and struggling Sam Easterbrook, the focus turned to Eliot Baker leading a persistent Stewart Hagestad, Josh Hill up in his match against Tyler Watts, and Niall Sheils Donegan in the fifth match out against Kihei Akino.
The vibes began to change in earnest after Sheils Donegan came from three down to get things All Square with a tap-in eagle on No. 12. Hill seemed to be pulling away from Hagestad, giving the huge but respectful crowd hope. But Lahinch’s reputation as a zany match play course isn’t the stuff of eight-Guinness-deep-pub lore. Annual South of Ireland tussles regularly see bizarre reversals late in the proceedings. With the conditions a perfect blend of miserable and testing—though never quite as apocalyptic as forecast—everything flipped.
Sheils Donegan salvaged a vital half point against the impressive Akina. Hagestad came back with birdie at the 17th to tie things against Hill. Graham chipped into Russell’s lead and Hill lost his lead to the No. 2 ranked Watts. The Americans banked a key point from Josiah Gilbert in the last match and needed just two more to retain the Walker Cup.
In rapid-fire succession, GB&I’s Baker birdied the 18th to pick up a fifth point, Graham birdied the 18th to salvage a half point against Russell, and it set the stage for last match still on the course.
Josh Hill was the highest-ranked GB&I player selected by Captain Robertson. A member of the strong Tennessee golf program with solid results this summer, included a deep run in the South of Ireland at Lahinch, Hill remained Robertson’s boldest Captain’s selection.
“Josh’s personality was huge,” said Robertson. “What he brings to a team environment was huge. But then Josh was the outstanding performer in our training camp, and he was the outstanding performer in some really challenging conditions. I know that he lost to another fantastic golfer in David Howard in the quarterfinals of the South, but that made my mind up. Josh was — he was on my team.”
With Hill in the front right bunker in two and Watts facing an 18-footer for birdie, both Captains descended on their players. Nathan Smith, USA’s easy-going leader, typically shies away from intervening.
“I just didn’t want him to be out there on an island by himself,” Smith said. “I think that can be pretty engulfing when you feel like you’re out there by yourself and 10,000 people surround you.”
Robertson also approached Hill, who knew they were still in the match.
“Dean came up to me by the bunker, and I asked him, do I need a half point or a full point? He said a full point, so I was like, ‘all right, let’s step up and hit a golf shot, and I hit a golf shot.’”
Hill said he wouldn’t have played the shot any differently regardless of Robertson’s answer.
“I was walking through the crowd hoping that it was good, but it obviously wasn’t, but it was nice to hole the putt and have that winning moment.”
No mere winning moment.
With Watts missing his putt, Hill secured a full point to give GB&I the win and a moment-of-a-lifetime that all involved will have a hard time ever matching.
Beating an American team that did not wither under the Lahinch pressures, Great Britain and Ireland gave the Walker Cup new life and dimensions that will carry far beyond County Clare.
