Americans Split Sunday Foursomes; Pull Within 3½ Points Of Winning The Walker Cup

Ganton, North Yorkshire, England – Brock Mackenzie kept his unbeaten record intact as he teamed with Matt Hendrix Sunday for the one win for the United States amateur squad in morning foursomes (alternate shot) matches that pushed the Americans to a 9-7 advantage with eight singles matches remaining in the Walker Cup Match at Ganton Golf Club. The U.S. also halved two of the other three foursomes and needs 3½ out of eight points in afternoon singles matches to reclaim the Cup. The Great Britain and Ireland team won the last two matches, in 1999 and 2001.

The Walker Cup Match is contested between two 10-man squads of amateur golfers, one from the United States and the other from Great Britain and Ireland . Great Britain and Ireland has won the last two Matches in the every-other-year series that dates back to 1922. A point is award for each win. There are 24 total points available.

Mackenzie, 21, of Yakima, Wash., and Hendrix, 22, of Aiken, S.C., built a 6-up lead through 11 holes and closed out Irishmen Noel Fox and Colm Moriarty, 6 and 5. They were a combined 4-under-par with the usual concessions of match play. A senior at the University of Washington, Mackenzie also handily won his singles match Saturday afternoon, 3 and 2.

Two other foursomes earned half points for the USA . They were Casey Wittenberg and Adam Rubinson, and Lee Williams and George Zahringer . The losing team weas Bill Haas and Trip Kuehne. Haas, 21, of Greer, S.C., and Kuehne, 31, of Dallas, Texas, had been unbeaten in two matches apiece on Saturday.

Wittenberg, 18, of Memphis, Tenn., and Rubinson, 23, of Ft. Worth, Texas, halved with Scotsmen Stuart Wilson and David Inglis, when Rubinson missed a three-foot putt for par to lose the last hole. Conversely, Williams and Zahringer won the last hole, earning a half point against The Welsh teammates Nigel Edwards and Stuart Manley .

The English team of Gary Wolstenholme and Oliver Wilson never lost a hole and easily beat Haas and Kuehne, 5 and 4.

A key singles match-up in the afternoon is Wittenberg, the U.S. Amateur runner-up against Wolstenholme, 43, the reigning British Amateur champion who is playing in his fifth consecutive Walker Cup Match. Haas plays in the first singles match against Oliver Wilson, while Kuehne faces Manley in the final match. Mackenzie faces Moriarty.

Top point-winners for the U.S. have been Mackenzie (2-0), Haas (2-1), Kuehne (1½ -1½ ), Rubinson (1½ -1½) and Wittenberg (1½ -1½). Edwards is 2½ -½ for GB&I.

Ganton, North Yorkshire, England, -- Results of Sunday’s foursomes (alternate shot) and the pairings for afternoon singles matches at the Walker Cup Match, played at the par 35-36—71, 6,894-yard Ganton Golf Club:

Foursomes (alternate shot)

Gary Wolstenholme, England, and Oliver Wilson, England, def. Bill Haas, Greer, S.C., and Trip Kuehne, Dallas, Texas, 5 and 4.

Brock Mackenzie, Yakima, Wash., and Matt Hendrix, Aiken, S.C., def. Noel Fox, Ireland, and Colm Moriarty, Ireland, 6 and 5.

Casey Wittenberg, Memphis, Tenn., and Adam Rubinson, Ft. Worth, Texas, halved with Stuart Wilson, Scotland, and David Inglis, Scotland.

Lee Williams, Alexander City, Ala., and George Zahringer, New York, N.Y., halved with Nigel Edwards, Wales, and Stuart Manley, Wales.

Singles

8:25 a.m. – Bill Haas, Greer, S.C., vs. Oliver Wilson, England.

8:35 a.m. – Casey Wittenberg, Memphis, Tenn., vs. Gary Wolstenholme, England.

8:45 a.m. – Adam Rubinson, Ft. Worth, Texas, vs. Michael Skelton, England.

8:55 a.m. – Brock Mackenzie, Yakima, Wash., vs. Colm Moriarty, Ireland.

9:10 a.m. – Matt Hendrix, Aiken, S.C., vs. Stuart Wilson, Scotland.

9:20 a.m. – Ryan Moore, Puyallup, Wash., vs. David Inglis, Scotland.

9:30 a.m. – Lee Williams, Alexander City, Ala., vs. Nigel Edwards, Wales.

9:40 a.m. – Trip Kuehne, Dallas, Texas, vs. Stuart Manley, Wales.