Dunne Helps Seal Walker Cup

Great Britain and Ireland regained the Walker Cup in comprehensive fashion at Royal Lytham on Sunday, securing the points required against the United States with six matches still to finish.

Leading 10-6 after the morning foursomes, the home side needed just three and a half points from the 10 singles to secure a fifth win from the last six contests on home soil.

And they did so at the earliest possible opportunity thanks to victories for Ashley Chesters, Cormac Sharvin and Jimmy Mullen and a half from Paul Dunne in the top four matches.

Chesters was sent out first once more and made it three and a half points from four by beating Jordan Niebrugge, who lost all three of his matches just two months after finishing sixth in the Open at St Andrews.

Sharvin then saw off 52-year-old Mike McCoy 4&3 before Mullen, who had partnered Chesters to two foursomes wins, beat Denny McCarthy to become the first GB&I player to have a perfect 4-0 record since Paul Casey and Luke Donald at Nairn in 1999.

That left Dunne to secure a half against world number two Maverick McNealy, who missed from five feet for birdie on the 18th to keep the biennial contest between the best amateurs from both sides of the Atlantic alive.

Captain Nigel Edwards struggled to put into words what it meant to lead his side to victory for the second time in three attempts.

"Gosh. It's great," the 47-year-old Welshman said. "At Royal Aberdeen (in 2011) we were up against it until the death but the boys at the top of the order went out fast as we needed them to do."

Asked about his perfect record, the 21-year-old Mullen said: "It did not matter as long as the team won, but to win all my matches is the icing on the cake."

Dunne, who led the Open after 54 holes before fading on the final day, added: "I will take winning over 30th place every day. It's so much better to do it as a team. Nigel has been a fantastic captain and inspired us from start to finish."

United States captain John Miller, who curiously sent NCAA and US Amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau out last in the singles, said: "I am very proud of everyone to a man. They played hard and fought hard and lost with grace and dignity, and that's not easy to do.

"Nigel and his boys outplayed us, simple as that. They earned it."

DeChambeau had been on the 10th hole when the contest was decided and went on to beat Gavin Moynihan 6&5.

Related articles

• GB & Ireland regain Walker Cup
• Britain and Ireland regain the Walker Cup in style
• Great Britain and Ireland battle back to put Walker Cup win in sight
• Britain and Ireland takes 10-6 lead over United States in Walker Cup
• Britain and Ireland Takes 10-6 Lead in Walker Cup
• Welshman Nigel Edwards masterminds more Walker Cup success

Golf Club Focus - Athlone

Club History

In 1892 the first Athlone golf course was laid out on the undulating terrain of the Batteries, a raised area west of the Shannon. It was the 'Athlone Garrison Golf Club' and during the early years it was mainly British army officers and R.I.C. personnel who were members of this nine hole course.

Soon, leading businessmen and professional people of the town began to take an interest in golf and in 1904 a new constitution was adopted and the club was renamed Athlone Golf Club. Those who played an important role in the development of the club at this time were P.V.C. Murtagh, J. Lyster, Dr. C. J. McCormack, J.J. Coen and P.B. Bingham.

Athlone Golf Club moved from the Batteries to Garnafailagh in 1920 because of the encroachment of urban development. The Batteries course however, left its mark on the history of Irish golf. Club member, John Dillon McCormack, won three Amateur Close Championships and represented Ireland twenty-four times. In 1924 he was selected on the Walker Cup team but could not play for personal reasons. It was almost eighty years later that a club member did play on the Walker Cup team, Colm Moriarty played at Ganton Golf Club in 2003.

Golf continued at Garnafailagh until 1938 when the move was made to Hodson Bay. This course was designed by Mr. J. McAllister and was officially opened on the 19th June of that year. The clubhouse, a pavilion style building, was situated beside the lake, close to the present sixteenth tee.

Down through the years a number of development programmes have been carried out. In 1972 the present clubhouse was opened, with Hawtree & Co., Course Architects, having advised on the new lay-out of the course to suit the location of the clubhouse.

On the advise of course architects, Mr. Eddie Hackett, improvements were made to the course in the eighties and in the early nineties the par 4 fifth hole and the par 3 sixth hole were both extended to par 5 holes.

In 2003 a three year course redevelopment programme commenced under Mr. Eddie Connaughton, Course Design Ltd. The work was carried out by S.O.L. Golf Construction Ltd. The redesign and construction of sand-based greens to USGA standards, the introduction of water features and the construction of the new par 3 sixth hole have further enhanced Athlone Golf Club, a club which has hosted many provincial and national championships, including the All-Ireland Cups and Shields Finals in 1998.

Also, in 2007, the All Ireland Mixed and All Ireland Ladies Championships were held in Athlone.

Club Honours

Barton Shield

All-Ireland - 1959

Connacht Winners - 1954, 56, 59, 65, 68, 73, 84, 86, 87, 88, 89, 94, 2004, 08

Senior Cup

Connacht Winners - 1954, 1956, 1968, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, 2003

Junior Cup

All-Ireland Finalists - 1900, 1983, 1988

Connacht Winners - 1900, 06, 59, 62, 69, 70, 76, 81, 83, 86, 86, 87, 88, 89, 95

Irish Mixed Fursomes

All-Ireland Winners - 1976

Connacht Winners - 1976, 1986, 2001

Pierce Purcell Shield

Connacht Winners - 1977

Connacht Shield Winners - 1955, 1976, 1980

Jack O'Sullivan Trophy Winners - 1994

Fred Daly Trophy

All-Ireland Finalists - 2004

Connacht Winners - 1994, 2004

Cecil Ewing Shield Winners - 1996, 2001, 2008

Jimmy Bruen Trophy

All-Ireland Finalists - 1997, 1999

Connacht Winners - 1995, 1997, 1999

Senior Inter Club Winners - 2009

www.athlonegolfclub.ie

Related articles

• Course View - Old Head
• Athlone Community Radio and South Westmeath Hospice Presents Radio Rivals!
• Irish Dozen in Catalunya Chase
• Club History - Mountrath
• Caught in an Athlone trap
• Golf Glance

Lagergren Retains NI Open Lead

European Tour

Joakim Lagergren showed he possesses substance and style in equal measure at the Northern Ireland Open Challenge in association with Maui Jim sunglasses as the Swede followed up his spectacular opening 62 with a battling level par 71 in difficult conditions to maintain his lead.

As the wind howled around the picturesque Galgorm Castle on Day Two, low scores were much tougher to come by but those who could hang in and card anything around the level par mark would make gains on the leaderboard. 

While several players did make a push towards the summit courtesy of under-par rounds, Lagergren held firm at the top, birdieing the final hole to enter the weekend one shot clear of the pack on nine under par.

The 22 year old got off to a strong start with a birdie at the first but suffered a bogey at the driveable par four second, all the more disappointing given it was playing downwind.

Back to back bogeys at the seventh and eighth were followed by a birdie at the par five ninth to reach the turn in one over and, while he began the back nine with a bogey six, two birdies on the way home were enough to copper-fasten his second round lead and he was delighted with how he showed the requisite mettle on a difficult day.

“It was really tough today,” said Lagergren, who has already played two seasons on The European Tour since turning professional in 2010. “In my opinion it wasn’t even the same game today.

“Yesterday, you could go for birdies, you could go for pins, but today par was a good score and that’s all I kept in mind all day. It’s all about the state of mind. When you’re on the first tee you need to know that you can’t be too aggressive in these conditions.

“You still have to hit good shots to shoot level par, but I kept it in mind to just be calm and don’t get upset with bogeys. You need to be patient out there.

“I'm really pleased to be still top of the leaderboard. Going out in the lead with two days left, I can’t ask for much more.”

With tens of thousands of spectators expected at the weekend, the Stockholm player is relishing the opportunity to exhibit his skills in front of some of the most knowledgeable golf fans in the world.

“Hopefully we’ll see big crowds tomorrow, it would be really fun,” he said. “They have been great so far, the crowds are really good. They know the game of golf, they behave like a crowd should and they are very knowledgeable.”

Englishman Steven Brown was one of those to close the gap at the top from two to one as he signed for a two under par 69 to move to eight under par, in outright second place.

The former Walker Cup star has been on imperious form of late, his sixth place finish at last week’s lucrative Rolex Trophy the latest of three top ten finishes in his last five appearances, and he was delighted with how he dealt with the testing conditions.

“It was very windy this morning,” said the 27 year old, who fired three birdies in his opening four holes having teed off at the tenth. “I knew it wasn’t going to be nice after looking at the forecast but it was cold early on as well as windy.

“I drove it really well and that was the key, if you get it in play then you can still give yourself a chance. The greens are so good that if you get a few chances, you can make some putts and I converted my chances early on.

“I was clinging on a bit at the end. I was still having chances but if you get outside 20 feet, it’s not easy to get it dead and you’re left with three- or four-footers with massive winds coming across you. So I missed a couple of par-savers which halted my momentum a bit.

“I got to ten under at one point but missed a couple of six-footers. But it’s tough out there so I'm really happy with how I played.

“It will be fun with all the people out watching at the weekend. Everyone knows that this tournament is a fun one because of all the people watching and they really appreciate good golf. It’s a great atmosphere so I can’t wait until the weekend.” 

Frenchman Thomas Linard, a winner already on the Challenge Tour this year at the D+D REAL Czech Challenge, carded a three under par 68 to move to seven under par and join American Dodge Kemmer (69) in a share of third place.

Three-time European Tour winner Kenneth Ferrie was one shot further back alongside promising South African Brandon Stone while two more former European Tour winners, Ferrie’s English compatriot Ross McGowan and Welshman Rhys Davies were both within five shots of the lead heading into moving day.

Related articles

• Deutsche Bank Championship 2014: Daily Leaderboard Analysis, Highlights and More
• Day, Furyk tied for lead at The Barclays
• What Golf Can Teach Us about Keeping a Performance Scorecard
• Gallacher keeps Ryder Cup hopes alive
• Otto shakes things up in turin
• Italian Open 2013 Leaderboard: Biggest Surprises of Tournament so Far

Phelan Joins Mount Juliet

Getty Images

Kevin Phelan, the European Tour rookie who achieved his first top-10 finish last weekend, has been named as the attached professional at Mount Juliet.

Phelan will carry the Kilkenny resort's logo on his golf bag and it's a perfect fit for the recent Q-School graduate.

Born in New York, Phelan spent his boyhood in Waterford before moving to St Augustine, North Florida, at age 13, where he completed his High School and College education.

"I'm delighted to become the attached tour professional for Ireland's premier parkland course," said Phelan, who tied sixth at last week's Tshwane Open in South Africa. "The facilities are world-class and it is an honour to be associated with a venue that has hosted many prestigious tournaments."

"This is very exciting," said Anthony Brady, the resort's director of sales and marketing. "Kevin holds the values we appreciate – he is a talented golfer, but also a gentleman. We hope Mount Juliet becomes a home away from home for him."

Phelan has enjoyed a memorable 12 months, splendidly making the cut in June's US Open at Merion while still an amateur before winning two points out of three at the Walker Cup.

Related articles

• Fisher closing in on Tshwane Open title
• UNF's Kevin Phelan named to Great Britain/Ireland Walker Cup team
• On the Beach announce in-resort support
• Phelan, Knox lead in the clubhouse at respective U.S. sectional tournaments
• Tshwane Chance for Hoey
• Kevin Phelan Tour Rookie

Phelan and McGee Join Higgins

Getty Images

US Claim Walker Cup

Getty Images

Nathan Smith won the deciding point in the United States' 17-9 victory over Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup on Sunday, beating England's Nathan Kimsey 4 and 3 in the fifth singles match at historic National Golf Links of America.

The United States, ahead 8-4 entering the final day in the biennial amateur event, split the four morning foursomes matches and won seven of the 10 afternoon singles matches.

"It's something I have been wanting for a long, long time, particularly after we lost in 2011," U.S. captain Jim Holtgrieve said. "I was hoping I would get a mulligan for `13 and when I knew it was going to be at National Golf Links, which is where it all started, I wanted so bad to come here. Yes. I wanted to win, but I wanted to do something good for golf and this, to me, was truly good for golf."

The 35-year-old Smith, a four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion from Pittsburgh, won the par-3 13th and par-4 14th with pars and ended the match with a halve for bogey on the par-4 15th.

"This ranks at the top of the list," said Smith, who has played in the Masters four times. "I never wanted a point so much in my life. This means the most. I'm happy for Jim. Nobody deserves it more than him and loves the game of golf and put more hard work into a team than him."

Alabama teammates Bobby Wyatt and Justin Thomas, 45-year-old South Carolina high school teacher Todd White, California's Michael Kim, Oklahoma State's Jordan Niebrugge and Stanford's Patrick Rodgers also won singles matches.

"It took a long time to get to the matches, but once I was there, it seems like it just went by real quick," Kim said. "And you know, winning is great, but to win with these other nine guys who, you know, I've known for a while now, it's special. And to represent your country is always an honour and something I'll never forget."

England's Matthew Fitzpatrick and Callum Shinkwin and Ireland's Kevin Phelan won their singles matches. Fitzpatrick, a freshman at Northwestern, won the U.S. Amateur last month.

"They adapted to conditions a little bit better," Britain and Ireland captain Nigel Edwards said. 

"The greens changed and there were very, very severe pin positions. They holed out a little bit 

better and I would say the short shots into the green, the distance control, that's where they outdid us. When they did hit it over the back they got up and down and we didn't."

Wyatt beat England's Neil Raymond 4 and 3; Thomas routed England's Max Orrin 6 and 4; White topped Wales' Rhys Pugh 4 and 3; Kim beat England's Garrick Porteous 4 and 2; Niebrugge pounded England's Jordan Smith 6 and 5; and Rodgers edged Ireland's Gavin Moynihan 1 up.

"They all focused together," Holtgrieve said. "They all played together. They all worked together and they helped each other with their games. There were no individuals. It was a team."

Fitzpatrick beat California's Michael Weaver 3 and 2; Shinkwin edged Alabama's Cory Whitsett 2 up; and Phelan beat Max Homa, the NCAA champion as a senior at Cal, 2 and 1.

In the morning foursomes, Whitsett and Wyatt beat Kimsey and Orrin 2 and 1, and Homa and Kim also earned a point for the United States, topping Porteous and Pugh 1 up. Fitzpatrick and Raymond beat Weaver and White 3 and 2, and Moynihan and Phelan topped Rodgers and Niebrugge 2 up.

Wyatt led the U.S. with 3½ points and Kim was 3-0.

"It was just a wonderful week for everybody involved," said Wyatt, part of Alabama's NCAA championship team. "I got to know some of the Great Britain and Ireland guys that I didn't know. I really enjoyed that, and I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot of them down the road."

The 2015 matches will be played at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in England.

Related articles

• US fight back to lead Walker Cup
• US Wins Walker Cup, Routing Britain and Ireland
• US wins Walker Cup, routing Britain and Ireland
• USGA Completes 2013 USA Walker Cup Team Roster With Selection of Five...
• GB&I Trail in Walker Cup
• US wins Walker Cup, routing Britain and Ireland

GB&I Trail in Walker Cup

Getty Images

The United States will head into the final day of the Walker Cup with an 8-4 advantage over Great Britain and Ireland.

It had looked promising for the visiting side when they established a two and a half to one and a half advantage after the morning foursomes but they were blown away in the afternoon session on The National Golf Links of America in New York.

The US were victorious in six of the eight singles with only Nathan Kimsey and Gavin Moynihan avoiding defeat for GB&I.

Kimsey claimed a half from his clash with Justin Thomas while Moynihan enjoyed a 2&1 victory over Patrick Rodgers.

The afternoon struggles were in stark contrast to a morning session which GB&I edged.

The first match was halved with GB&I winning the next two before the United States won the final foursome of the session.

The first match-up saw home pair Cory Whitsett and Bobby Wyatt refuse to let the visiting duo of Kimsey and Max Orrin capitalise on the one up lead they held on six occasions.

Instead each time Whitsett and Wyatt came back to tie including on the 18th hole when Orrin hit his eagle putt 12 feet past the hole with Wyatt sinking a two-foot birdie to win the hole and halve the match.

Next up was Sheffield's Matthew Fitzpatrick, who became the first Englishman since 1911 to win the US Amateur Championship - propelling him to number one in the world amateur golf rankings - and also win the Silver Medal at July's Open Championship at Muirfield.

He was partnered by Neil Raymond and they went one up against Jordan Niebrugge and Nathan Smith at the par-four fifth, a lead they held until the 15th. The GB&I duo won the par-five 18th when Raymond hit an eagle attempt to three feet and Fitzpatrick calmly rolled the ball in for a one up victory.

Raymond told www.usga.org: "To go out in foursomes over here and get the first solid point on the board was very important. I was just really happy to get it done.

"I believe in my ability, and obviously believe in the world number one [Fitzpatrick] over here."

The visitors moved further ahead when Garrick Porteous and Rhys Ough defeated Michael Weaver and Todd White, three and one.

Victory was clinched at the 372-yard 17th. Welshman Pugh hit his wedge approach shot to four feet. Weaver also hit a fine wedge approach to seven feet, but White missed the birdie attempt and Porteous' birdie was conceded to give GB&I victory.

Pugh said: "It gets my [competitive] juices flowing playing for Great Britain and Ireland. It's an honour and brings the best out of me."

The hosts then hit back in the final match of the session, Rodgers and Thomas defeating Moynihan and Kevin Phelan two and one.

The United States took a lead they never relinquished on the 15th before Rodgers recorded the clinching birdie on the 17th, hitting a 111-yard wedge to six feet.

Related articles

• Walker Cup 2013: USA Power Ahead of GB&I in Southampton
• US fight back to lead Walker Cup
• US takes 8-4 lead in Walker Cup
• Tide teammates set to open Walker Cup
• USGA Completes 2013 USA Walker Cup Team Roster With Selection of Five...
• Tide teammates set to open Walker Cup