US regain Cup with clinical efficiency

The US gained a crushing 18-6 victory, the second biggest margin in the history of the event, in the Walker Cup on the Quaker Ridge course, New York yesterday. And while Ireland's Keith Nolan and Richard Coughlan were both losing their singles, 45-year-old John Harris gained the winning point for the US.

In the process, he had his sixth singles win out of six, beating the all-time record of five, set by the illustrious Bobby Jones.

From a British and Irish standpoint, it was hardly an appropriate celebration of the tournament's 75th anniversary. But only the most partisan visitor could have been surprised that a clearly talented American side had extended their playing record to 17 victories from 19 matches on home soil.

It was like winning a cricket Test with almost an innings in hand. With a lead of 11 1/2 to 4 1/2 at lunchtime yesterday, the Americans had effectively regained the Cup before a ball was struck in the second series of singles.

A grim pattern was set as early as Saturday's opening series of foursomes in which the US gained a clean sweep. Ireland's Richard Coughlan had a five-foot birdie putt on the 18th to avert such an outcome, but the ball slipped tantalisingly past the hole on the high side.

Then the Americans extended their lead by taking the singles 4 1/2 to 3 1/2. Keith Nolan, seriously at odds with his game, lost again but on this occasion, Coughlan had better fortune on the 18th where he sank a six-foot putt for a winning birdie and a halved match with Chris Wollmann, last year's US Public Links champion.

Faced with a deficit of five points at the half-way stage, visiting skipper Clive Brown clearly felt the need for some sort of remedial action. And Nolan was among those to suffer for an indifferent performance as Gary Wolstenholme's foursomes partner. But Brown kept faith with Coughlan and his Welsh partner, David Park.

As it happened, the faith was not misplaced, even if they failed to extract any reward from a match they might have won.

Level with Steve Scott and Duke Delcher after Park had rammed home a six-foot birdie putt on the 17th, the visiting partnership faced the fateful, 419-yard 18th once more.

Using the driver for only the second time in the round, Coughlan blocked his tee-shot into the trees on the right. Unfortunately, the ball had come to rest a few feet directly behind a tree, giving Park no shot towards the green.

The Americans, meanwhile, were in a fairly familiar position - on the fairway. And when Coughlan hit a seven-iron third shot to 30 feet and they finished five feet inside him in two, hopes of a foursomes split had virtually vanished. In the event, Coughlan conceded when Scott rolled a well-judged lag up to two feet.

A significant weakness in their overall play, however, was the concession of considerable distance to the Americans off the tee. Fearful of the claustrophobic trees, Coughlan hit three woods or two irons at most of the driving holes and his partner followed suit.

The effect of this strategy was graphically illustrated by the play of the 437-yard 12th hole. After Coughlan had hit a three wood off the tee, Park was left with a three-iron approach which he pulled beyond the back-left of the elevated green.

On the other hand, Scott smashed a driver down the left half of the fairway from where Delcher hit an eight iron to the green. Granted, he probably should have hit a seven, given that the ball landed in the front fringe, but clubbing difference remained highly significant.

Two earlier holes had a major bearing on the outcome. One up playing the seventh, the visiting pair lost it to a par after Coughlan had missed a tap-in two-footer. Then the Americans went ahead at the 11th where Delcher sank a glorious, downhill 10-footer for a winning birdie.

It was a pity insofar as the holders seemed likely to salvage some pride through a moderately fruitful morning in which temperatures close to almost 90 degrees and humidity was quite stifling. The Scots pairing of Barclay Howard and Graham Rankin suffered more than most in the heat while losing by 5 and 4.

Indeed the only real bright spot was provided by Wolstenholme and Justin Rose who gained the visitors' only foursomes win over the two days by beating Leen and Wollmann 2 and 1.

Meanwhile, Nolan's problems off the tee continued in his closing singles match against Brad Elder, in which he lost the long opening hole to a par. And the uncharacteristically scrappy nature of his play on Saturday was reflected in approximate figures of seven over par for the 16 holes against Randy Leen.

Overall, the best individual performance from a British and Irish player was by Scottish youth champion Steven Young. In winning his opening singles by 5 and 4 against Delcher, he was three under par and four up for the outward journey, despite a six at the sixth. And he looked equally impressive in yesterday's top singles against Joel Kribel.

Yesterday's results Foursomes (British and Irish names first) - S Young and C Watson lost to J Harris and B Elder 3 and 2; B Howard and G Rankin lost to J Courville and B Marucci 5 and 4; R Coughlan and D Park lost to S Scott and D Delcher 1 hole; G Wolstenholme and J Rose bt R Leen and C Wollmann 2 and 1. Singles - Singles - Young beat J Kribel 2 and 1; Watson halved with J Gore; Rose lost to Courville 3 and 2; K Nolan lost to Elder 2 and 1; Brooks lost to Harris 6 and 5; Park lost to Marucci 4 and 3; Wolsteholme lost to Delcher 2 and 1; Coughlan lost to Scott 2 and 1.

Overall score - Britain and Ireland 8, US 16.

Saturday's results Foursomes - Howard and Young lost to Elder and Kribel 4 and 3; Rose and Brooks lost to Courville and Marucci 5 and 4; Wolstenholme and Nolan lost to Gore and Harris 6 and 4; Coughlan and Park lost to Leen and Wollmann 1 up. Singles - Watson bt Scott 1 up; Young bt Delcher 5 and 4; Howard lost to Elder 5 and 4; Rose bt Kribel 1 up; Nolan lost to Leen 3 and 2; Rankin lost to Gore 3 and 2; Coughlan halved with Wollmann; Wolstenholme lost to Harris 1 up.

Half-way score - Britain and Ireland 3 1/2, US 8 1/2.