Lewis confident of bucking trend

Golf:The United States start strong favourites for the Walker Cup at Royal Aberdeen this weekend, but Britain and Ireland's Tom Lewis believes an upset could be on the cards.

Lewis, the 20-year-old who led the Open after a record-breaking 65 in July, said: “We just have to respect them and play our game. If we can play our best then we’ll come away with a win. If we don’t it’s just going to be a struggle.”

Lewis resisted the temptation to switch to the professional ranks straight after what happened at Sandwich.

“Walker Cup was my main goal as an amateur and it would have been silly to have turned,” he added. “I had a struggle a couple of weeks after the Open, so I’m pleased I stayed. If I had turned pro then I would have made a big mistake.”

Lewis leads the home side off in both foursomes and singles on the opening day, and each time he will face last year’s American champion Peter Uihlein — the player he beat to the leading amateur prize at the Open.

Ireland’s Paul Cutler and Alan Dunbar will face Nathan Smith and Blayne Barber in the foursomes with Cutler also deployed in the singles against Kelly Kraft.

Part of the preparations by USA captain Jim Holtgrieve involved standing in the shower.

“We’ve got good rain pants that don’t leak!” said Holtgrieve, a friend of Corey Pavin, whose Ryder Cup team last year had to be given replacements for their raingear. When I got the suit I did stand in the shower and it does work perfectly.”

Walker Cup draw
(GB and Irl names first)

Foursomes

0900Tom Lewis and Michael Stewart v Peter Uihlein and Harris English
0910Jack Senior and Andy Sullivan v Russell Henley and Kelly Kraft
0920Paul Cutler and Alan Dunbar v Nathan Smith and Blayne Barber
0930Steven Brown and Stiggy Hodgson v Patrick Cantlay and Chris Williams

Singles

1345Lewis v Uihlein
1355Senior v Jordan Spieth
1405Sullivan v English
1415Rhys Pugh v Patrick Rodgers
1425Brown v Henley
1435James Byrne v Smith
1445Cutler v Kraft
1455Stewart v Cantlay