Britain and Ireland defy odds to deliver stunning win

As the hooley that had been blowing in the morning lost its puff by the early evening, the home team survived some anxious moments before singles wins from Michael Stewart and Rhys Pugh, as well as a halves from Jack Senior, Steven Brown and Paul Cutler, carried them to a 14-12 victory.

It was only GB&I’s eighth win in the event but was the second in succession on Scottish soil after a 15-9 success at Nairn in 1999. On that occasion GB&I, with the likes of Luke Donald and Paul Casey on board, were the favourites. This time the Americans were strongly fancied.

With the top four players in the world and two Nationwide Tour winners in their ranks, some observers were predicting a rout.

That was never on the cards from the off. They came up against a home side that had prepared well and also displayed a dogged determination.

A 3.5-0.5 win in the second foursomes session had left GB&I just needing those three-and-a-half points from the ten closing singles.

It seemed straightforward, but was anything but. The Americans made life uncomfortable and the relief in the home camp was palpable at the end.

Tom Lewis fell in the No 1 berth for the second day running. In his last act as an amateur – the Silver Medal winner in this year’s Open Championship is turning professional today – he could only muster one birdie in falling to Russell Henley.

Three down at the turn, Andy Sullivan rallied with three successive birdies but eventually succumbed to Jordan Spieth, the two-time US Junior champion. The fast start GB&I wanted wasn’t forthcoming. With most of the other matches close, captain Nigel Edwards paced nervously on tees and beside greens.

The tension was eased as blue mushroomed for a spell on the scoreboards. Stewart delivered the first of those precious points. His opponent, Patrick Rodgers, took 6 at the first. They then shared the next two in birdies. The American collected two more, at the seventh and eighth, to draw level.

Stewart, the 2010 Scottish champion, made a timely 2 at the 11th to edge in front again. He also won the 13th, this time with a par and his exquisite short game salvaged an important half at the next. Rodgers missed a short one at the 15th, allowing Stewart to close it out by 3 and 2 at the next.

“I knew what I had to do this afternoon,” said the 21-year-old from Troon.

“I saw that the two guys at the top had lost, so it was crucial that I got this point for us.” He praised his dad, Robbie, who was on caddying duties. “He knows exactly what to say at the right times. He keeps me cool,” added Stewart.

Senior let Nathan Smith off the hook by missing from three feet at the 15th. The American won the 17th to edge in front, but Senior rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt at the last for a half. “My emotions were running high when that went in,” admitted the Englishman.

Smith had no complaints. “I thought he’d have one bullet left in the chamber,” said the American of Senior’s putt.

Stiggy Hodgson was two up with five to play on Peter Uihlein. The Englishman was seeking revenge after losing to the same opponent at Merion on the final day two years ago. He didn’t get it. Uihlein came back to win 2 and 1, leaving Hodgson in tears.

But they were soon wiped away. Pugh won his match for the second day running. The 17-year-old held off a strong rally from Kelly Kraft, the US Amateur champion, just after the turn to win 2 and 1.

Shortly afterwards, Brown won the last to finish all square against Blayne Barber and Cutler was four up with four to play in the anchor match. GB&I were over the finishing line.

James Byrne, a foursomes winner with Pugh earlier in the day, battled bravely but lost to Harris English. Alan Dunbar also went down, though only on the last to Chris Williams after being five down at one point.

They didn’t matter and neither did the fact Cutler lost the last four holes to Patrick Cantley, the world No 1. It did stop the Irishman emerging with four points from four over the weekend, though.

Before play started on the second day, US captain Jim Holtgrieve sat his players down inside the Royal Aberdeen clubhouse and read an emotional letter that had been penned for them by George W Bush to mark the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Holtgrieve then handed out the special hats he’d had designed for the day with the poignant words ‘never forget’ on them. The natty tartan trews they were wearing also proved a talking point.

Yet, while Holtgrieve would have been hoping the message from a former US president would inspire his players to make a fast start, it actually seemed to have the opposite effect. Before too long, the scoreboards were awash with blue. It was to prove another good session for the home team. In fact, it should really have resulted in a whitewash.

Sent out at the top of the order for the second day running, Lewis and Stewart won the second with an eagle-3, and the next with a par. Three up at the turn, they went further in front when a bogey-6 proved good enough at the 12th. They looked to be cruising against Spieth and Rodgers. The Americans had different ideas.

The fightback started at the 13th. It built up steam after Stewart missed from four feet at the 15th, then came close to finding gorse with the GB&I drive at the next. Both teams shaved the hole with birdie attempts at the 17th. The Americans got lucky with their tee shot at the last. Faced with an awkward stance for GB&I’s second, Lewis pulled it into the rough. Stewart needed all his strength to muscle the next one close to the green.

From around 40 feet, Lewis almost holed. Spieth did from around 15 feet to secure an unlikely half.

It felt like a defeat for the home team. It didn’t prove as costly as it might have, though, due to what was happening in the three matches behind. Edwards had said on Friday that his foursomes pairings had been “natural”.

He was certainly proved right in the case of Sullivan/Senior and Cutler/Dunbar. They both delivered for the second day running. The English duo won five out of the first six holes – all with pars – in accounting for Uihlein and English.

By contrast, the Irish pairing came from behind to beat Kraft and Barber. Wins at the 12th, 15th and 16th did the trick.

Byrne and Pugh had sat out the Saturday morning session. This time, they were put together at the tail. Both had earned that chance after gritty singles wins the previous day. It proved another shrewd move from the captain.

Helped by back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth, the GB&I duo were three up at the turn. Cantlay and Williams got it back to one with seven to play but GB&I killed off the fightback by winning four in a row.