Walker Cup: US Defeats GB&I 12 1/2 to 11 1/2
For those of us involved with the PGA Championship, we missed out on the US Walker Cup Team defeating the GB & I Team. What USA captain Bob Lewis called the Match “the greatest Walker Cup ever played.” USGA.org’s coverage here.
The 18th hole nearly cost the US Team, which was poised to win at least 2 and halve a third match, but the GB&I Team had other ideas.
16-year-old Oliver Fisher rolled in an 18 footer for birdie to take a 1/2 point away from Michael Putnam, the reigning NCAA Division I runner up. Both shot 67s in Sunday’s singles matches. Fisher and Putnam also played against each other in Saturday’s singles with Putnam losing 2-down to the youngest player in Walker Cup history.
Next, Robert Dinwiddie holed out the 18th hole to square his match against 2005 US Open Qualifier and low-amateur and University of Florida Senior Matt Every. Every played well to get his match all-square through 15 and then won the 16th hole to go 1-up. After exchanging bogies on 17, Every needed to tie Dinwiddie on the 18th to win the match. When Dinwiddie holed out, after Every lipped his chip out, GB&I got another unexpected 1/2 point.
Then, Kyle Reifers, a Senior at Wake Forest and Columbus, Ohio native, went to the 18th hole all-square with Lloyd Saltman, the low amateur at the 2005 Open Championship (British Open for those “non-golf” fans). Saltman, who finished eagle, par, birdie on the final three holes, made a 20 footer to go from a one down to one up victory against Reifers.
Finally, Jeff Overton, who with Putnam postponed turning pro in order to participate in the Walker Cup, dodged the final bullet in the GB&I’s gun when Nigel Edwards of Wales missed his 35 foot birdie attempt. After Overton two-putted from 18 feet for par to win his match 1-up, the 2005 Indiana University graduate, celebrated with his teammates.
Gary Wolstenholme became GB&I’s all-time points leader by holding off 2005 US Public Links Medalist, Anthony Kim, 1 up. Wolstenholme has 10 points, which is one more than Sir Michael Bonallack, the former Secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. (can you say Sir Wolstenholme???)
I find it amazing how players like Putnam and Overton, forgo the money and stay an amateur in order to play for their country. Unlike many pros who cannot find that “inner fight” to play as a team, the amateurs in the Walker Cup play for the right reasons: Pride, Passion, and Country. I just hope that the US can do the same in the President’s Cup this September.
A scoring summary can be found here and the Walker Cup website can be found here.
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