The act was an audacious one, bred from a new and invigorating confidence nurtured over the past decade. In historically winning the Walker Cup here at Ocean Forest Golf Club last evening by a 15-9 margin, and retaining it for the first time in the event's history, Britain and Ireland emphasised a dramatic swing in the amateur game's power base that has seen them become the event's dominant force.
While the victory gave B & I its fourth success in the last seven stagings of the biennial match, the manner - and the sheer size - of the team's accomplishment was remarkable. It was also only the second occasion in the event's history B &I have come to American soil and won and, ironically, the previous win also came in Georgia, at Peachtree in 1989. Even Peter McEvoy, the supreme motivator, seemed a tad bemused by it all.
"This particular group of players have won individual tournaments all around the world, and I think that was significant, because they're used to going abroad and winning. But they also showed that they possess a hard edge," he said.
That hard side was amply demonstrated in a bewildering final day's singles. Having trailed by a 51/2 to 61/2 margin overnight, and McEvoy letting his charges know in no uncertain manner his disappointment at such a deficit, B & I used yesterday morning's foursomes to change matters: winning three of those four matches, it meant they headed into the singles with a precious one point advantage, 8 1/2 to 7 1/2.
Luke Donald led from the front, winning the top match over Lucas Glover, and behind him, his team-mates were rallying to the same call. By the end, the only American singles victory came from their number one player, Bryce Molder, who defeated Graeme McDowell on the final green. But other wins from Nick Dougherty, Steven O'Hara, Marc Warren - who had the honour of clinching the decisive winning point - Gary Wolstenholme, who became the first B & I player to play on three winning teams, and Michael Hoey provided a chilling reminder on a hot day to the Americans of how much the pendulum has swung away from them.
"I'm scared about what's happening behind me," remarked Molder, who had delayed his move into the professional ranks so that he could avenge his side's defeat at Nairn two years ago. "I didn't come back to the Walker Cup just to play, I came to win."
That was beyond his team's best endeavours however, and instead it is Donald, Dougherty and O'Hara who make the transition into the paid game with winning Walker Cup memories.
Donald, in fact, also created a new percentage wins for a Britain and Ireland player in the Walker Cup, his three pints from four total here - added to his 100 per cent record in Nairn - giving him seven wins from eight matches, beating the previous record held by Philip Walton who won six of eight matches.
Hoey, the British Amateur champion, also finished off a superb Walker Cup debut by coming from three down to Danny Green after five holes to go ahead for the first time with a birdie on the 17th and then close out matters on the final hole. It gave him three points from four over the two days, while McDowell - who came up against Molder twice in the singles, losing on each occasion - had the satisfaction in garnering two foursomes points.
"This is everything I could have asked for," remarked McEvoy, as the sun shone down on his players at last evening's closing ceremony.
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