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| Gavin Dear of GB&I, on No. 9 in his singles match against Brian Harman, went 0-1-1 Saturday. (John Mummert/USGA) |
Ardmore, Pa. – Rickie Fowler, Bud Cauley and Peter Uihlein each won two matches Saturday to power the United States of America to an 8-4 lead over Great Britain and Ireland on the first day of the 2009 Walker Cup Match, being played on the par-70, 6,846-yard Merion Golf Club.
In Saturday morning’s foursomes (alternate shot) matches, Fowler and Cauley teamed to defeat Luke Goddard and Dale Whitnell of GB&I team, 6 and 5. Fowler recorded another large margin of victory in his afternoon singles match, 7 and 6, over Sam Hutsby, while Cauley earned a 2-and-1 win over Niall Kearney.
Fowler, who was 3-1 for the USA at the 2007 Walker Cup at Royal County Down in Northern Ireland, made a winding 15-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole to close out Hutsby.
“Along with the other nine guys, we were ready to go yesterday right after the opening ceremony," said Fowler. “So I was definitely ready this morning and had a good feeling. Bud and I went out and played well and then I played solid this afternoon as well.”
In his morning foursomes match, Uihlein teamed with Nathan Smith to win the final two holes against Gavin Dear and Matt Haines en route to a 1-up victory. Uihlein, a sophomore at Oklahoma State who is playing in his first Walker Cup, made an 18-foot par putt to secure the win.
USA Captain George “Buddy” Marucci, a member at Merion, was pleased with his team’s first-day effort.
“I thought we had a great day,” said Marucci, who also served as captain of the USA team that won the 2007 Walker Cup and played on the 1995 and 1997 USA teams. “Foursome matches, terrific. To get out 3-1 was a great boost. I thought we went out really strong in the afternoon matches, which I knew we would have to do. GB&I did a marvelous job, as they always do, in fighting back. But at the end of the day, I am thrilled with being able to be ahead 8-4.”
It looked like the Americans would have an even larger advantage at the end of the first day. At one point during the afternoon, the USA led six of the eight singles matches and was all square in the other two. But GB&I Captain Colin Dalgleish tried not to despair.
“It was certainly very early to give up hope on the afternoon, but certainly it was looking pretty bleak,” said Dalgleish, who also captained the 2007 GB&I squad. “I knew the guys were all working pretty hard and they all knew how important it was for any of them to get some change on the board and I know we were a bit motivated by that.
“I think that we are happy to be at 8-4 right now. We feel we are still very much in contention.”
Chris Paisley of the GB&I made a 5-foot par putt on the 18th hole to halve his match and earn a half-point against Drew Weaver, one of four matches halved during the afternoon session. Weaver had birdied No. 17 to take a 1-up lead, but found trouble on the 18th, hitting his approach shot into a greenside bunker. He struck his next shot across the green into another greenside bunker.
Stiggy Hodgson earned the lone full point for GB&I in the singles matches, earning a 2-and-1 decision over Brendan Gielow. Earlier in the day, Hodgson teamed with Niall Kearney to give GB&I its only foursomes victory, with a 3-and-1 victory over Cameron Tringale and Adam Mitchell.
Despite the big lead, Marucci does not expect his team to grow complacent heading into Sunday’s matches.
“I think what happened this afternoon will actually help us tomorrow, help us stay focused,” said Marucci, whose 2007 squad built a 10-6 lead after Sunday’s foursomes and held on for a narrow 12½-11½ victory. “I don't think anybody on our team is overconfident. I think they realize tomorrow is going to be a very difficult day. We are thrilled to have a four-point lead. We realize we need five-and-a-half points to win. We are going to try to do the best we can to get those points, but no one on our side is expecting any gifts. We are going to go out there and play as hard as we can and try to win every match.”
The 2009 Walker Cup Match continues Sunday with a second round of foursomes matches and concludes with 10 singles matches Sunday afternoon. The USA needs 13 points to retain the Walker Cup for a third consecutive Match, while GB&I must earn 13½ points to regain the Cup.
The Walker Cup Match is a men’s amateur team competition played every other year, with one squad from the USA and the other representing England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland and Wales.
Beth Murrison is a Manager of Communications for the USGA. E-mail her with questions or comments at bmurrison@usga.org.
Results
Ardmore, Pa. – Results of Saturday’s first round of foursomes (alternate shot) and singles matches at the 2009 Walker Cup Match at the par-70, 6,846-yard Merion Golf Club:
Foursomes
Brian Harman, Savannah, Ga., and Morgan Hoffmann, Saddle Brook, N.J. (USA) def. Wallace Booth, Comrie, Scotland and Sam Hutsby, Portsmouth, England (GB&I), 2 and 1
Peter Uihlein, Orlando, Fla., and Nathan Smith, Pittsburgh, Pa. (USA) def. Gavin Dear, Scone, Scotland and Matt Haines, Chatham, England (GB&I), 1 up
Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif., & Bud Cauley, Jacksonville, Fla. (USA) def. Luke Goddard, London, England, and Dale Whitnell, London, England, (GB&I), 6 and 5
Stiggy Hodgson, London, England, and Niall Kearney, Dublin, Ireland, (GB&I) def. Cameron Tringale, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and Adam Mitchell, Chattanooga, Tenn. (USA), 3 and 1
Singles
Gavin Dear, Scone, Scotland (GB&I) halved with Brian Harman, Savannah, Ga. (USA)
Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif. (USA) def. Sam Hutsby, Portsmouth, England (GB&I), 7 and 6
Wallace Booth, Comrie, Scotland (GB&) halved with Cameron Tringale, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (USA)
Matt Haines, Chatham, England (GB&I) halved with Morgan Hoffmann, Saddle Brook, N.J. (USA)
Peter UIhlein, Orlando, Fla. (USA) def. Tommy Fleetwood, Lancashire, England (GB&I), 2 and 1
Chris Paisley, Northumberland, England (GB&I) halved with Drew Weaver, High Point, N.C. (USA)
Bud Cauley, Jacksonville, Fla. (USA) def. Niall Kearny, Dublin, Ireland (GB&I), 2 and 1
Stiggy Hodgson, London, England (GB&I) def. Brendan Gielow, Muskegon, Mich. (USA), 2 and 1
