The Legend of Lahinch — Great Britain and Ireland sneaks thriller
GB&I Captain lifts the Walker Cup at Lahinch. Picture: The R&A/Getty
Captain Dean Robertson was in tears as Great Britain and Ireland claimed a Walker Cup comeback win for the ages at Lahinch, and the great links proved once more that it's an unparalleled match-play masterpiece.
It's crowned South of Ireland champions from John Burke and JB Carr to Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell and even given Padraig Harrington his lone Irish Close win.
It never fails to produce great winners, and it did so again on a typical west of Ireland September Sunday of stiff southwest winds, sunshine and showers to produce the greatest singles comeback in the Walker Cup's 104-year history.
"We are so elated. We're hardly able to put it into words," the captain said. "There's a lot of emotion, a lot of happy tears. But pride, pride is the word I would use to describe it."
Great Britain and Ireland, one point ahead overnight, fell three points behind a powerful USA side after suffering their first 4-0 morning foursomes whitewash since 2007.
They needed a Medinah-like miracle — seven points from the ten singles — to deny the USA a sixth successive win, and they got them in heart-stopping fashion to claim a13.5-12.5 victory.
"There's most definitely a belief in the players, and even though we were swept 4-0 this morning, there wasn't a despondency," Robertson added.
The Americans, boasting seven of the world's top 10, didn't know what hit them as the skipper top-loaded his team.
Tullamore's Stuart Grehan, now adopted by County Louth Golf Club, came from behind for the second day running to beat world number one Preston Stout 2&1 and give the team belief.
Luke Poulter, Jack Whaley and Tyler Weaver went on to win the next three, and while Niall Shiels Donegan bravely halved with Kihei Akina, the USA got a second wind and appeared destined to win for the sixth time running with less than an hour's play remaining,
England's Eliot Baker and Connor Graham were behind, and the bottom two GB&I players, Ben Bolton and Sam Easterbrook, were destined to lose.
But digging deep, Baker fought back to hand veteran Stewart Hagestad just his second defeat in six matches, and when Graham birdied the last two holes to halve with Miles Russell, who missed a 15-footer on the last to give the USA a 13-13 tie and the right to retain the trophy, it all hinged on the final match.
England's Josh Hill, all square with Tyler Watts, proved the hero of the hour as he got up and down from the deep bunker right of the green for birdie, nervelessly holing a left-lip two-and-a-half footer after his left-handed opponent had failed from 20 feet.
His caddie, Declan McInerney, reminded him that bunker had less sand than others and he had the sense to listen and the courage to hit the winning putt on the left lip.
It sparked incredible scenes on the 18th, reminiscent of so many South of Ireland finals and proved an emotional moment for captain John Gleeson and quasquicentennial (125th anniversary) captain Padraig Slattery.
"Last game, last green, last putt - a dream come true for us, but a dream come true for the team, and particularly Dean Robertson, who has worked so hard and done so much," Mr Gleeson said.
As for Mr Slattery, son of Lahinch legend Brud, he was not surprised to see such match play drama at the course where he grew up.
"This is a match play course, and the whole thing stays alive right to the end, and that is the critical thing. Dean Robertson said it time and again. Two down with five to play, you've still got every chance."
Grehan was immense from the front, winning 2.5 points from four after taking on Stout in all four sessions.
A 400-yard drive and a wedge to a foot set up an eagle on the 12th that put him in front, and his win gave GB&I belief.
For Grehan, who duffed his pitch to the first into the sand and then shanked the bunker shot, it was disbelief at the finish.
"Can you write it up any better than that? I don't think you can," he said. "Eliot winning, Connor getting the half, and then for Josh to get up and down there, it's just unbelievable. I mean, this is just outrageous.
"It's definitely the highlight of my golf career, to be honest. Individual titles are great, but to win as a team on the biggest stage you could do it really, it's amazing."
As for Hill, he felt he proved himself.
"I feel like I underachieved a lot in college, and that only just drove me to prove my worth this week," he said. "Hopefully I proved my worth this week."
Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter watched it all unfold, and it was no surprise to hear his son Luke was the motor in the team room.
"I don't know, Medinah is his little thing, but this is my thing now," Poulter Jnr said.
Captain Robertson pulled them all together to avenge last year's painful singles hammering at Cypress Point.
"He's only the tenth GB&I captain to do it, isn't he?" Grehan said. "That says everything... he's going to be a legend forever, isn't he?"
As losing captain Nathan Smith put it, "All you can do is really tip your cap to them. They played great."
51st Walker Cup, Lahinch Golf Club
Overall: USA: 12.5, Great Britain and Ireland 13.5
Sunday foursomes (US names first)
Preston Stout & Ethan Fang bt Stuart Grehan & Eliot Baker 3&2
Jay Leng Jnr & Kihei Akina bt Luke Poulter & Sam Easterbrook 4&3
Miles Russell & Tyler Watts bt Tyler Weaver & Connor Graham 3&2
William Jennings & Ryder Cowan bt Niall Sheils Donegan & Josh Hill 4&3.
(Foursomes: USA 4, GB&I 0)
Singles
Preston Stout lost to Stuart Grehan 2&1
Ethan Fang lost to Luke Poulter 3&1
William Jennings lost to Jack Whaley 8&7
Jay Leng Jnr lost to Tyler Weaver 4&3
Kihei Akina halved with Niall Sheils Donegan
Stewart Hagestad lost to Eliot Baker 1 hole
Miles Russell halved with Connor Graham
Tyler Watts lost to Josh Hill 1 hole
Ryder Cowan bt Ben Bolton 3&2
Josiah Gilbert bt Sam Easterbrook 4&3
(Singles USA 3, Great Britain and Ireland 7).
