5 days ago
Before the European's made their historic comeback at the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah, Ian Poulter had to make five birdies in a row to help him and Rory McIlroy win their Saturday match and trim Team USA's lead to 10-6 heading into Sunday.
"This has given us a heartbeat," Poulter said that Saturday night. One day later, the Europeans had stormed back to ****** the Ryder Cup away from the Americans in historic fashion. But the comeback all started with Poulter creating momentum out of thin air for his team to feed off — creating belief.
On Sunday at the 51st Walker Cup, Great Britain and Ireland faced a similar mountain to climb. After getting whitewashed in the morning foursomes, GB&I entered Sunday singles trailing the Americans by three points. The Americans needed just 3.5 points from their 10 matches to retain the cup and four to win outright. GB&I captain Dean Robertson believed his team could mount the biggest comeback in Walker Cup history, but first it needed a pulse.
Enter: 33-year-old mid-amateur Stuart Grehan.
The Irishman already authored a Walker Cup moment to remember on Saturday when he won the final three holes of his match against World No. 1 amateur Preston Stout to steal a crucial point. After pouring in the winning putt on Saturday, Grehan and his son were mobbed by Irish fans as chants of "Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole" filled the air.
#saturday #poulter #sunday #grehan
"This has given us a heartbeat," Poulter said that Saturday night. One day later, the Europeans had stormed back to ****** the Ryder Cup away from the Americans in historic fashion. But the comeback all started with Poulter creating momentum out of thin air for his team to feed off — creating belief.
On Sunday at the 51st Walker Cup, Great Britain and Ireland faced a similar mountain to climb. After getting whitewashed in the morning foursomes, GB&I entered Sunday singles trailing the Americans by three points. The Americans needed just 3.5 points from their 10 matches to retain the cup and four to win outright. GB&I captain Dean Robertson believed his team could mount the biggest comeback in Walker Cup history, but first it needed a pulse.
Enter: 33-year-old mid-amateur Stuart Grehan.
The Irishman already authored a Walker Cup moment to remember on Saturday when he won the final three holes of his match against World No. 1 amateur Preston Stout to steal a crucial point. After pouring in the winning putt on Saturday, Grehan and his son were mobbed by Irish fans as chants of "Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole" filled the air.
#saturday #poulter #sunday #grehan
5 days ago
Americans painted the scoreboard red at Lahinch during Sunday morning's foursomes only to be capsized by a blue wave in the afternoon singles that saw Great Britain and Ireland rally to win the 51st Walker Cup.
The home team got off to a blazing start in the final session on a gusty Irish day, winning each of the first four singles matches.
Stuart Grehan topped Preston Stout for the second straight day and Jack Whaley recorded a historic, 8-and-7 runaway victory over William Jennings.
Then came two more wins for Team GB&I — Luke Poulter beat Ethan Fang when the latter's putt on No. 17 came up just short of the hole. Moments later, Tyler Weaver closed out his match over Jay Leng Jr. with a 4-and-3 win.
Those four results flipped the script at the 51st Walker Cup, putting GB&I up 10 1/2 to 9 1/2 with six more matches left.
#team #matches #came #americans
The home team got off to a blazing start in the final session on a gusty Irish day, winning each of the first four singles matches.
Stuart Grehan topped Preston Stout for the second straight day and Jack Whaley recorded a historic, 8-and-7 runaway victory over William Jennings.
Then came two more wins for Team GB&I — Luke Poulter beat Ethan Fang when the latter's putt on No. 17 came up just short of the hole. Moments later, Tyler Weaver closed out his match over Jay Leng Jr. with a 4-and-3 win.
Those four results flipped the script at the 51st Walker Cup, putting GB&I up 10 1/2 to 9 1/2 with six more matches left.
#team #matches #came #americans
6 days ago
COUNTY CLARE, Ireland (AP) — British Amateur champion Stuart Grehan didn't flinch when he was 3 down after three holes against the No. 1 amateur in golf. The Irishman rallied to beat Preston Stout on the 18th hole Saturday as Great Britain and Ireland took a one-point lead over the Americans in the Walker Cup.
Luke Poulter of England held off 17-year-old Miles Russell in the last singles match on the course, giving GB&I a 6 1/2-5 1/2 lead going into the final day at Lahinch as it tries to beat the Americans for the first time since 2015.
GB&I had a three-point lead after the opening day its last time on home soil, in 2023 at St. Andrews, only for the Americans to win 10 of the 14 matches on Sunday. The Americans had a one-point lead last year at Cypress Point and lost only one of the 10 singles matches in a 17-9 win.
"We're ahead, but we need to reset for tomorrow," said Poulter, the son of Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter and a senior at Florida. He turned the match in his favor with a 15-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole and a stellar up-and-down on the par-3 16th.
The crowd created a big atmosphere as it walked the fairways behind matches and surrounded the greens on the fabled links along the Atlantic coast in the west of Ireland.
#poulter
Luke Poulter of England held off 17-year-old Miles Russell in the last singles match on the course, giving GB&I a 6 1/2-5 1/2 lead going into the final day at Lahinch as it tries to beat the Americans for the first time since 2015.
GB&I had a three-point lead after the opening day its last time on home soil, in 2023 at St. Andrews, only for the Americans to win 10 of the 14 matches on Sunday. The Americans had a one-point lead last year at Cypress Point and lost only one of the 10 singles matches in a 17-9 win.
"We're ahead, but we need to reset for tomorrow," said Poulter, the son of Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter and a senior at Florida. He turned the match in his favor with a 15-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole and a stellar up-and-down on the par-3 16th.
The crowd created a big atmosphere as it walked the fairways behind matches and surrounded the greens on the fabled links along the Atlantic coast in the west of Ireland.
#poulter
24 days ago
Great Britain and Ireland now have its 10.
Still buzzing from his U.S. Amateur victory on Sunday at Merion, England's Jack Whaley was among the players named to the GB&I Walker Cup team by the R&A on Tuesday morning.
"I think I proved that I'm good in match play," Whaley said.
Whaley, whom captain Dean Robertson admitted was not in line to be selected for his debut until he lifted the Havemeyer Trophy to earn an automatic bid, joins six returners from last year's 17-9 defeat to the U.S. at Cypress Point: Englishmen Tyler Weaver, Luke Poulter and Eliot Baker, Scotland's Niall Shiels Donegan and Connor Graham, and British Amateur champion Stuart Grehan of Ireland; all six had previously secured their spots via the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
"He performed so well under the umbrella at Merion with his double gloves on, showcasing that he can not only perform brilliantly in the U.S., but he can perform in adverse weather, too," Robertson said of the 22-year-old Whaley, a rising senior at Florida State and one of seven U.S. college products representing GB&I. "Before last week, I wouldn't have seen Jack in the team, but after watching him, the talent that he's got and the humility that he's got and the way that he spoke, I'm really excited to welcome him."
#robertson #perform
Still buzzing from his U.S. Amateur victory on Sunday at Merion, England's Jack Whaley was among the players named to the GB&I Walker Cup team by the R&A on Tuesday morning.
"I think I proved that I'm good in match play," Whaley said.
Whaley, whom captain Dean Robertson admitted was not in line to be selected for his debut until he lifted the Havemeyer Trophy to earn an automatic bid, joins six returners from last year's 17-9 defeat to the U.S. at Cypress Point: Englishmen Tyler Weaver, Luke Poulter and Eliot Baker, Scotland's Niall Shiels Donegan and Connor Graham, and British Amateur champion Stuart Grehan of Ireland; all six had previously secured their spots via the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
"He performed so well under the umbrella at Merion with his double gloves on, showcasing that he can not only perform brilliantly in the U.S., but he can perform in adverse weather, too," Robertson said of the 22-year-old Whaley, a rising senior at Florida State and one of seven U.S. college products representing GB&I. "Before last week, I wouldn't have seen Jack in the team, but after watching him, the talent that he's got and the humility that he's got and the way that he spoke, I'm really excited to welcome him."
#robertson #perform
3 months ago
Matt Moloney has a chance to do something that hasn't been accomplished in 50 years come Saturday.
The rising junior at Georgia advanced to the final of the 2026 British Amateur at Royal Liverpool, knocking out Phil Mickelson Award winner Kihei Akina in the quarterfinals before topping Germany's Emil Riegger in the semifinals. If Moloney were to take home the ***** le, it would be the first time in half a century that Americans have won consecutive British Ams, with Oklahoma State's Ethan Fang taking the ***** le last year at Royal St. George's.
“It's hard not to think about (winning)," Moloney said. "But like I said, I'm going to try my best because there is a lot of golf left to execute.”
Moloney will face Stuart Grehan, the 33-year-old mid-amateur who was on the GB&I Walker Cup team last year at Cypress Point. Grehan topped Richard Teder of Estonia 2 and 1 to join Moloney in the championship match.
The winner Saturday gets three exemptions into majors: the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, the 2027 Masters and the 2027 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, provided they remain an amateur. The loser doesn't get quite the prize: a spot in final qualifying and the Last Chance Qualifier for the Open.
The rising junior at Georgia advanced to the final of the 2026 British Amateur at Royal Liverpool, knocking out Phil Mickelson Award winner Kihei Akina in the quarterfinals before topping Germany's Emil Riegger in the semifinals. If Moloney were to take home the ***** le, it would be the first time in half a century that Americans have won consecutive British Ams, with Oklahoma State's Ethan Fang taking the ***** le last year at Royal St. George's.
“It's hard not to think about (winning)," Moloney said. "But like I said, I'm going to try my best because there is a lot of golf left to execute.”
Moloney will face Stuart Grehan, the 33-year-old mid-amateur who was on the GB&I Walker Cup team last year at Cypress Point. Grehan topped Richard Teder of Estonia 2 and 1 to join Moloney in the championship match.
The winner Saturday gets three exemptions into majors: the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, the 2027 Masters and the 2027 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, provided they remain an amateur. The loser doesn't get quite the prize: a spot in final qualifying and the Last Chance Qualifier for the Open.
