Walker Cup: Miracle by the Inagh as Great Britain and Ireland storm singles to take down USA

The captivation of team matchplay golf was exhibited in all of its raw beauty in this 51st edition of the Walker Cup on the Old Course at Lahinch, as Great Britain and Ireland – seemingly with all hope lost after a disastrous whitewash in the morning foursomes – produced their very own Miracle by The Inagh estuary with a masterful singles session that saw them power back to defeat the United States by 13½ to 12½ to claim the prized silver trophy for the first time since 2015.And with the match on a knife-edge on an absorbing afternoon of singles played in weather that threw squalls and sunshine at the players, the outcome came down to the last putt on the last green of the last match, where Josh Hill, ranked 93rd in the world, played an exquisite bunker shot to three feet to set up a birdie to defeat world number two Tyler Watts by one hole to secure victory.“I have lot of confidence in my bunker game anyway, but I don’t really know how I handled myself over that three-footer. I was shaking. I’m just glad it went in to be honest, because this is absolutely unbelievable,” said Hill of his own dramatic giant-killing act that sealed the deal.Captain Dean Robertson – who had walked down the 18th fairway to let Hill know that a win, and only a win, in his match would claim the trophy – would later equate Hill’s bunker shot to the one executed by Matt Fitzpatrick’s in capturing the 2026 US Open at Brookline. Maybe this was better, even.READ MOREJosh Hill celebrates winning his match against Tyler Watts of the USA on the 18th green at Lahinch to secure the Walker Cup for Great Britain and Ireland for the first time since 2015. Photograph: Warren Little/Getty Images Having trailed by three points headed into the final session of 10 singles, Robertson – who believed in his men even when faced with the huge task of taking down an American team featuring nine players ranked in the world’s top-12 – never doubted his team when, most likely, others had lost faith.Not Robertson, though. Not the crowds, either, as the sell-out galleries of 8,000 – most in waterproofs to defy the weather – who acted the part of the 11th man in backing the fightback of fightback, for the largest comeback in Walker Cup history.Robertson changed his order on the back of the foursomes setback and front-loaded his team. The answered the call and delivered, with Stuart Grehan, the Amateur champion, leading brilliantly in taking down world number one Preston Stout for a second successive day in singles and followed in turn by Luke Poulter, Jack Whaley and Tyler Weaver to take the top four singles.Niall Sheils Donegan got a hard-earned halved match with Kihei Akini. But it remained for those behind to complete the job and, for a long time, it didn’t look like they would as the Americans rallied with Josiah Gilbert and Ryder Cowan winning. Great Britain & Ireland players celebrate the winning putt at Lahinch Golf Club. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho Yet, when it came down to it, GB&I found a way with Eliot Baker birdieing the last to defeat Stewart Hagestad; Connor Graham winning the last two holes in his match with fellow-teenager Miles Russell to claim a crucial half point, and then Hill birdieing the 18th for a one-hole win over Watts to ecstatic scenes from the galleries. In effect, those players won every hole that had to win with no room for error, margins of the most thinnest variety.This was the greatest comeback by any team in the long, rich history of the Walker Cup, eclipsing the two points fightbacks of the GB&I teams of 1971 at St Andrews and 2003 at Ganton.And when it was put to Luke Poulter – the son of Ian, part of that famed Miracle of Medinah win for Europe in the Ryder Cup of 2012 – that this possibly matched that, the younger Poulter responded: “Medinah is his little thing, but this is my thing now. This is the Legend of Lahinch.”And, for former tour player Robertson, a winner of the Italian Open back in 1999, the team picture eclipsed the individual one. “This absolutely supersedes everything. This is incredible,” said the Scot, who had brought his team back from the heavy defeat at Cypress Point to prove their superior in dramatic fashion by the Wild Atlantic Way.Sunday’s morning foursomes: GB&I 0 USA 4Stuart Grehan/Eliot Baker lost to Preston Stout/Ethan Fang 3&2Luke Poulter/Sam Easterbrook lost to Jay Leng Jnr/Kihei Akina 4&3Tyler Weaver/Connor Graham lost to Miles Russell/Tyler Watts 3&2Niall Sheils Donegan/Josh Hill lost to William Jennings/Ryder Cowan 4&3Overall score: USA9 ½ GB&I 6½ Sunday’s afternoon singlesStuart Grehan bt Preston Stout 2&1Luke Poulter bt Ethan Fang 3&1Jack Whaley bt William Jennings 8&7Tyler Weaver bt Jay Leng Jnr 4&3Niall Sheils Donegan halved with Kihei AkinaEliot Baker bt Stewart Hagestad 1 holeConnor Graham halved with Miles RussellJosh Hill bt Tyler Watts 1 holeBen Bolton lost to Ryder Cowan 3&2Sam Easterbrook lost to Josiah Gilbert 4&3.Singles result: GB&I 7 USA 3Day two result: GB&I 7 USA 7Overall result: GB&I 13½ USA 12½