If, AS one Scottish player caustically observed yesterday, amateur golf is now "dog eat dog", then Ireland and England can expect to get their teeth into a tough, old dogfight when the men's Home International championship concludes today on the Somerset links of Burnham and Berrow.
Yesterday, as the wind whipped in from the Bristol Channel, not only to add an extra test to the conditions but also to bring a degree of spite, Ireland, despite a nervy tail-end finish, beat Wales 8 1/2 to 6 1/2 and the holders England defeated Scotland in a none-too-friendly encounter.
Appropriate, perhaps, that on a day when the Scottish people were deciding their political destiny, England - chasing an unprecedented fifth title in succession - made their intentions clear with a 10 1/2 to 4 1/2 win, although the antics of their young star, Justin Rose, who last month at 17 became the youngest ever member of a Walker Cup team, didn't go down too well with Scottish player Graham Rankin who, after losing to him on the 18th green, said he wouldn't mind if he never had to meet his Walker Cup team-mate again.
His remarks were a reference to Rose's alleged lack of sportsmanship, exuberantly punching the air when holing putts and such like. Graham Lowson, returning to the the Scotland side for the first time since 1991, added: "It is now dog eat dog, a case of win at all costs."
There was no such hostility in the Irish-Welsh confrontation - and the spirited Ireland team, despite the loss of Paddy Gribben, who has been advised not to play golf for a month due to an infection in a cut on his foot, showed little or no mercy in forging a win over their opponents. It sets up a winner-takes-all head-to-head match with England today, with Wales and Scotland, both without a win, fighting it out to avoid the wooden spoon.
Ireland entered the afternoon singles in decent shape, carrying forward a 3-2 advantage (which should have been even greater) from the foursomes. And, even though Irish champion Ken Kearney was beaten out the country by Jamie Donaldson, who had 11 single putts and was six under par, in the top singles, elsewhere it was a sea of green on the scoreboards.
"It was certainly encouraging to look at the boards and see things going so well," remarked Jody Fanagan, who halved his match with Walker Cup player David Park by sinking a 10-footer for par on the last, despite admitting to being "very weak" at the conclusion due to 'flu-like symptoms.
The mid-order strength of the Irish team - Noel Fox, John Morris, Garth McGimpsey, Bryan Omelia and Andrew McCormick, a cocktail of experience and youth - won the five points which ensured that Ireland, like England, made it two wins out of two. Defeats for the bottom three Irish players merely hurt pride.
McCormick, with a 2 and 1 win over teenager Ian Campbell, had the distinction of closing the book on any possible Welsh fightback, but it was the veteran McGimpsey who really epitomised Ireland's resilience. The Bangor man was two down after 10 holes to Nigel Edwards, but proceeded to win the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th to leave his opponent reeling. McGimpsey eventually claimed the match by a 3 and 2 margin.
Indeed, it was a good day's work for McGimpsey. Earlier on, he'd partnered Omelia, who is playing some fine golf, to a 6 and 5 foursomes win over Yestyn Taylor, soon to join the professional ranks, and Edwards.
So, Ireland head into the final series of matches feeling they owe England a beating - two years ago at Portrush, England won the title on countback by a mere half a point from the Irish, and last year at Moray beat them in another head-to-head.
