Amateurs prove the tide has turned

If anyone dared to doubt that the tide had turned, at least in a golfing sense, and also that the inferiority complex of old had been well and truly banished, then the answer was delivered in most emphatic fashion on the banks of the Moray Firth yesterday when the amateur players of Britain and Ireland produced a near-faultless display to secure only their fifth success in 37 attempts.

To rub salt into American wounds, the 15-9 final score was a record win for the British and Irish team. And Peter McEvoy, an inspirational captain, who thought he had seen most things in the game, was quick to claim it as "the proudest moment of my life".

Fittingly, perhaps, Paddy Gribben, the lone Irishman in the 10-man team, had the distinction of winning the vital point that ensured overall victory. Nobody but Gribben, and those closest to him, anticipated he could possibly beat Hunter Haas, who had emerged as the USA's undisputed top gun.

Gribben, though, rattled in a 50-foot birdie at the first hole and never looked back as he eventually secured a 3 and 2 win. Indeed, Gribben was five-under-par (the best golf of the day) in securing victory which brought Britain and Ireland's total beyond what was required.

Magic moments? Gribben, a reinstated amateur who now intends to give himself a second-chance at the professional grade, was suitably thrilled to be part of an outstanding success. "I did it for all the guys," he said, "and I did it for Ireland. This is an extremely proud moment for me."

Yet, Britain and Ireland had to win the hard way. Trailing 5-7 from the first day's play - "I felt we underachieved on Saturday," remarked McEvoy, who showed his cold hand by axing Scottish players Lorne Kelly and David Patrick from any involvement yesterday - the home side wiped out the deficit going into the door-die singles by taking the morning foursomes by 3-1. The singles were played in near perfect conditions for links golf. A gentle, but persistent breeze floated in off the bay and, one by one, the home players took to the task at hand. Graham Rankin, a player who had lost six matches out of six prior to his foursomes win yesterday morning, was like a new man.

"I could have looked a mug," remarked McEvoy of his decision to stick with the Scot, "but he is a player of enormous ability. He has gone through a wall now, and I think he will get better and better."

Rankin led from the front. His one hole win over Steve Scott set the trend. Then the American-based English players, Luke Donald and Paul Casey - the only players to emerge with 100 per cent records from four matches, and the anchors of the British and Irish bid for glory - rowed in with wins over Bryce Molder and Spider Miller respectively.

Behind them, the pendulum that McEvoy had wanted to stop at the right time was swinging Britain and Ireland's way. Graeme Storm, the British amateur champion, took the next point with a one hole win over Jonathon Byrd . . . which meant just a half-point was required by those following to secure victory. Gribben delivered, in emphatic fashion, and he was followed home in cruise mode by Phil Rowe and Gary Wolsten holme.

When the dust had settled, even seasoned observers found it hard to believe that Britain and Ireland had managed to win seven of the eight singles. Normally, it's the Americans who do such things. But, as McEvoy has said often enough, times have changed - and the fearsome reputation of the Americans just isn't what it used to be.

Gribben's singles win was achieved in superb fashion. Haas had established a reputation as a big hitter and a winner. His roll was halted by the Warrenpoint player, who, almost unbelievably, rolled in a monster birdie putt on the first - and Haas was visibly shaken. He then hit a four-iron to 10 feet at the second. Haas punched his approach to the third over the back and, incredibly, Gribben was three up, and he never allowed the US Public Links champion back into the match.

It was a superb response to an agonising morning's work which had promised so much but delivered little for Gribben.

Foursomes golf can be as unpredictable as, well, the Scottish weather. Yesterday morning, for the second day running, an untypical calm descended on the links. Unlike Saturday, however, Britain and Ireland were the ones to benefit most and resurrected their ambitions by taking the foursomes 31 and cancelling a two-point overnight deficit.

Unfortunately for Gribben, the only foursomes match that the home side lost was the one he was involved in. Indeed, Gribben and his partner, Simon Dyson, had birdied the 16th and 17th holes to level their encounter with Haas and Spider Miller, and they appeared to be in pole position after Gribben's three-wood second shot to the long 18th finished just 30 yards short of the green, with the Americans unable to find the green in three.

But Dyson duffed the bread and butter chip into a bunker and that was enough to hand the Americans a win. But it didn't unsettle Gribben who, as the 26th Irishman to play in the Walker Cup, made a supreme contribution in the singles.

"I wasn't affected by what happened to Simon. I know it hurt him, but I had to focus my mind on the singles and I was fired up playing against Hunter. I knew I had it in me to win."

He did, and in a quite memorable way.