Omar Uresti denies GB&I taking PGA Cup lead

Gareth Wright, left, and Jason Levermore celebrate their 3&2 morning win in the 27th PGA Cup at CordeValle Picture: Getty Images

Uresti, a two-times Nationwide Tour winner, finished birdie-birdie-eagle to deny the visitors taking the lead as they enjoy the upper hand again in the fourballs.

Playing with Sean Dougherty, the 47-year-old holed from 14 feet for his eagle at the last to earn a half against Graham Fox and David Dixon after the GB&I pair had been three up with three to play.

After laying up with his approach at the par-5, Fox had played a superb third, spinning it back to about two feet, but didn’t get the chance to make what would have been a match-winning putt.

“If that (pointing to his putter) had been working, it would have been game over by the 13th,” said a disappointed Fox, who is attached to Clydeway Golf in Uddingston.

Trailing 4.5-3.5 overnight, GB&I levelled the scores when West Linton’s Gareth Wright and Jason Levermore maintained their unbeaten record.

One down with eight to play, the GB&I pair made five birdies in six holes to win 3&2 and take their tally in the event to two-and-a-half points.

“We got off to a slow start then Jason caught fire in the middle,” said Wright after clinching the victory by holing from 12 feet for a birdie-2 at the 16th.

Levermore, a 36-year-old who is attached to Channels Golf Club in Essex, added: “Gareth and I dovetailed nicely and finish strong.”

The Englishman, who won the recent Lombard Trophy final at Gleneagles, has wielded his long putter to good effect in the first three sessions.

“It’s my old magic wand,” added Levermore, who has practised with counter-balanced putters ahead of the long ones being banned at the end of this year but is sticking with his trusty flat stick for the time being.

Michael Watson and Paul Hendriksen suffered a heavy defeat in the anchor match but Niall Kearney and Alex Wrigley eked out a valuable win in the remaining clash.

Irishman Kearney, who played in the 2009 Walker Cup on this side of the Atlantic, conjured up a magical second shot - he had one foot in a bunker and the other out of it - at the 17th to take the GB&I duo to the last tee standing all square against Ben Polland and Matt Dobyns.

The 27-year-old Dubliner then showed nerves of steel to roll in a four-footer for a match-winning birdie at the last.

“Alex carried me for the first ten holes but then I managed to find something over the last few holes,” said Kearney, who had also holed a good birdie putt at the 16th.

“I was nervous over the putt at the last but did exactly what my caddie told me - aiming inside left and banging it into the hole.”

Fourballs (US names first)

M Block & S Deane lost to G Wright & J Levermore 3&2

M Dobyns & B Polland lost to N Kearney & A Wrigley one hole

O Uresti & S Dougherty halved with G Fox & D Dixon

A Morin & G Sturgeon bt M Watson & P Hendriksen 4&2

Foursomes draw

B Sowards & J Broce v G Wright & J Levermore

M Block & S Deane v L Clarke & A Wrigley

N Dobyns & B Polland v G Fox & D Dixon

S Dougherty & G Sturgeon v C Clark & N Kearney