Walker Cup kings!

TEAMWORK proved positive as the United States regained the Walker Cup with a 17-9 victory against Great Britain and Ireland on Long Island.

A resounding 8-4 ahead after the opening day, the US players consolidated their position by sharing the morning foursomes 2-2.

That left just three-and-a half points needed from the 10 singles matches, and the contest was won when Nathan Smith held off Nathan Kimsey in match five.

The importance of the victory was clearly evident in the faces of the players as Smith hugged captain Jim Holtgrieve after Smith delivered and clinched the trophy during the afternoon singles matches on Sunday’s Day Two of the 2013 Walker Cup at National Golf Links of America in Southampton, New York.

It was the 35th US win since the top amateurs’ event began in 1922, with GB and Ireland on eight wins and one tie.

With the deficit going into the singles, the visitors needed some inspiration but in the opening game Neil Raymond bogeyed four holes out of five and lost all of them to Bobby Wyatt, who won their match 4&3.

Max Orrin then had two bogeys and a double bogey to lose three successive holes to Justin Thomas, who clinched a 6&4 victory with his third birdie of the round.

World amateur number one Matt Fitzpatrick, an 18-year-old from Sheffield, birdied the first two holes and earned a point for GB and Ireland with a 3&2 success against Michael Weaver, but wins for two mid-amateurs – post-college players – 45-year-old Todd White and 35-year-old Smith ensured victory for the American team.

“Everybody played so hard as a team there were no individuals here, all these guys gave their hearts and I can’t say enough about them,” an emotional Holtgrieve said.

His GB and Ireland counterpart Nigel Edwards said: “They holed out a little bit better and the short shots, the distance control, is where they got us.”

The next edition of the Walker Cup will be played at Royal Lytham and St Annes in September 2015.

Sunday foursomes: C Whitsett/B Wyatt (USA) beat N Kimsey/M Orrin (GB & I) 2&1
M Weaver/T White (USA) lost to M Fitzpatrick/N Raymond (GB & I) 3&2
M Homa/M Kim (USA) beat G Porteous/R Pugh (GB & I) 1up
P Rodgers/J Niebrugge (USA) lost to G Moynihan/K Phelan (GB & I) 2up
Sunday singles: Bobby Wyatt (USA) beat Neil Raymond (GB & Ire) 4&3
Justin Thomas (USA) beat Max Orrin (GB & Ire) 6&4
Michael Weaver (USA) lost to Matt Fitzpatrick (GB & Ire) 3&2
Todd White (USA) beat Rhys Pugh (GB & Ire) 4&3
Nathan Smith (USA) beat Nathan Kimsey (GB & Ire) 4&3
Cory Whitsett (USA) lost to Callum Shinkwin (GB & Ire) 2up
Michael Kim (USA) beat Garrick Porteous (GB & Ire) 4&2
Max Homa (USA) lost to Kevin Phelan (GB & Ire) 2&1
Jordan Niebrugge (USA) beat Jordan Smith (GB & Ire) 6&5
Patrick Rodgers (USA) beat Gavin Moynihan (GB & Ire) 1up