GB&I win Walker Cup for first time since 2015

COUNTY CLARE, Ireland -- Connor Graham and Josh Hill each won the 18th hole in the final two matches Sunday at Lahinch as Great Britain & Ireland capped off a stunning comeback against the Americans to win the Walker Cup for the first time since 2015. Graham birdied the last two holes to earn a precious halve against 17-year-old Miles Russell. It came down to Hill, all square in his match with 18-year-old Tyler Watts, his Tennessee teammate. Hill hit a long bunker shot to 3 feet and holed the birdie putt for a 13½-12½ victory. "We had that belief we could win, and it's going to be a great night," Hill said. The Americans, loaded with seven of the top 10 players in the world amateur ranking, swept the morning foursomes matches in the fierce wind to build a three-point lead going into the 10 singles matches, long a U.S. strength. Team USA needed to win only 3½ points in singles to keep the cup. GB&I, however, quickly turned the tables and put its blue scores on the leaderboard by winning the opening four matches. Stuart Grehan, the lone Irish player on home soil, took down top-ranked amateur Preston Stout. Luke Poulter closed out his match on the 17th hole. U.S. Amateur champion Jack Whaley of England demolished William Jennings, 8 and 7, and Tyler Weaver won in 15 holes. Key for GB&I, however, was getting three points -- two wins and two halves -- from the four matches that went to the final hole. Niall Sheils Donegan, the Scot who grew up in San Francisco, never had the lead in his match but ground out a halve against Kihei Akina when the BYU freshman missed a 4-foot birdie putt. Eliot Baker atoned for a Sunday singles loss to Stewart Hagestad last year at Cypress Point by winning the par-5 18th. Hagestad tried to hit driver off the deck and wound up in a tough spot that took a good birdie chance away, and Baker got up-and-down for birdie and a full point. The final two matches were on the 18th hole and GB&I had to win the hole in both matches or watch the Americans keep the Walker Cup for a sixth straight time. Graham, 2 down with two to play against Russell, birdied the last two holes for a halve. "I had a look at the leaderboard a couple of times," Graham said. "I knew a halve would go a long way." It all came down to Hill, a senior at Tennessee, all square in his match with 18-year-old Tyler Watts, an incoming freshman for the Volunteers. Watts was in thick rough off the tee and had 130 yards left for his third shot. Hill was in a front bunker with the pin toward the back. Hill blasted out to just over 3 feet, and when Watts missed his 18-foot birdie putt, Hill quickly rapped it in and the celebration was on. "I don't know how I handled myself on that 3-footer because I was shaking," Hill said. "I'm just glad it went in because this was unbelievable." The Americans still lead the overall series 40-10-1. Next up for GB&I is to try to win the Walker Cup away from home for the first time since 2001 at Ocean Forest in Georgia. The 2028 matches will be held at Bandon Dunes in Oregon.