Walker Cup: United States produce superb comeback to retain trophy
Americans come from behind to win 15.5 - 10.5 at Royal Liverpool
Sunday 8 September 2019 19:05, UK
The United States justified their status as odds-on favourites by staging a superb fightback against Great Britain and Ireland to retain the Walker Cup at Royal Liverpool.
Trailing 7-5 overnight, the visitors won two-and-a-half points from the morning foursomes before claiming six of the first seven singles matches to secure victory with three matches still to finish.
Scotland's Sandy Scott enjoyed a superb 4&3 win over the previously unbeaten Brandon Wu but defeats for Alex Fitzpatrick, Euan Walker, Caolan Rafferty, Harry Hall, Conor Purcell and Thomas Plumb condemned the home side to defeat.
Walker Cup Golf
The previous American victory away from home came in 2007 with a team which included future major champions Dustin Johnson and Webb Simpson and PGA Tour winners Rickie Fowler, Billy Horschel, Kyle Stanley and Chris Kirk.
Rory McIlroy and Danny Willett were among the Great Britain and Ireland team which lost by a single point at Royal County Down.
The 47th Walker Cup had looked set for a tense climax after the US reduced their deficit to a single point in Sunday morning's foursomes.
Great Britain and Ireland won just one of the foursomes courtesy of Plumb and Tom Sloman, who beat world No 1 Cole Hammer and Steven Fisk 4&3.
Walker Cup Golf
Walker and Scott fought back from two down with four holes to play to halve their match with Andy Ogletree and John Augenstein, but Fitzpatrick and Purcell lost 2&1 to Wu and Alex Smalley and Conor Gough and Hall were beaten 3&2 by Stewart Hagestad and Akshay Bhatia.
That left the home side needing five points from the afternoon's 10 singles matches to regain the trophy.
Fitzpatrick had raised home hopes by moving two up on Salinda, only to lose the next three holes in succession, although Sloman had recovered from an early deficit to lead Fisk by two holes in the final match.
Scott produced birdies on the 12th and 14th as he wrapped up a 4&3 victory over Wu, although at the same time John Pak was sealing a 2&1 success against Walker.
The home side's slim hopes were resting on Ireland's Rafferty and England's Gough, Rafferty trailing Smalley by one with four to play and Gough getting back to all square after 13 against Ogletree.
Rafferty was unable to complete the comeback and his defeat, coupled with Hall's 5&3 loss to Hagestad meant the United States were just two points away from victory.
Hammer provided the first of those with a 6&5 thrashing of Purcell and Augenstein made certain of retaining the trophy with a 4&3 win against Thomas Plumb.
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