Josh Hill hit a bunker shot to 3 feet and birdied the 18th hole to win his singles match and secure Great Britain & Ireland’s upset of the United States in the Walker Cup on Sunday at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland.
The 22-year-old Englishman defeated Tyler Watts — ranked No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking — 1 up to secure the final point the hosts needed in a 13 1/2-12 1/2 victory. GB&I won the cup for the first time since 2015 and ended the Americans’ five-match winning streak.
GB&I led by one point after Saturday’s foursomes and singles matches, only to have the U.S. storm ahead 9 1/2-6 1/2 by sweeping all four Sunday morning foursomes matches.
But in the first singles match of the afternoon, Irishman Stuart Grehan knocked off No. 1-ranked amateur Preston Stout 2 and 1. Luke Poulter, the son of English professional and Ryder Cup vet Ian Poulter, took down Ethan Feng 3 and 1, and fellow Englishman Jack Whaley — who won the U.S. Amateur earlier this summer — ran away with an 8-and-7 victory over William Jennings.
The U.S. did not win any of the first eight singles matches, losing six and halving two. Rising star Miles Russell, headed to Florida State next season with Tiger Woods’ son Charlie, halved his match with Connor Graham before Hill’s close victory over Watts.
Ryder Cowan and Josiah Gilbert collected the full point in the final two singles matches to keep the margin respectable, but the U.S. needed to finish with 13 points to retain the cup and 13 1/2 to win outright.