USA move early at Walker Cup
BY Anthony Powter | World Amateur Mens Tour | 2009 Walker Cup | Day One | 13 Sep 2009
The Americans have moved out to an early 8-4 lead over Great Britain and Ireland after Saturday’s opening round of matches at the Walker Cup being played at the rain effected Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania.
The 10-man American contingent will be aiming to maintain a firm hold on the Walker Cup against Great Britain and Ireland in the biannual contest, having won the last two titles.
Americans Rickie Fowler and Bud Cauley made quick work of Luke Goddard and Dale Whitnell 6&5, and Brian Harman and Morgan Hoffmann added the other US point in the morning foursomes, beating Wallace Booth and Sam Hutsby 2&1.
Stiggy Hodgson and Niall Kearney delivered Great Britain & Ireland’s only point, a 3&1 win over Cameron Tringale and Adam Mitchell.
You have to go back to 1995 to find the last time a team came back to win after losing the opening round of foursomes.
With a strong position for the US moving into the afternoon singles matches, things went from bad to worse for Great Britain & Ireland when Rickie Fowler trounced Sam Hutsby 7&6 and Peter Uihlein defeated Tommy Fleetwood 2&1, while Bud Cauley also beat Niall Kearney by the same result.
Gavin Dear, Wallace Booth, Matt Haines and Chris Paisley halved their matches against Brian Harman, Cameron Tringale, Morgan Hoffmann and Drew Weaver respectively. Great Britain & Ireland’s only singles victory came from Stiggy Hodgson, who accounted for Brendan Gielow, 2&1.
Overall the US hold a 33-7-1 lead since they defeated Great Britain & Ireland in the inaugural event back in 1922 at the National Golf Links of America, in Long Island, New York. In recent times the US have lost three of the last five meetings.
