GB&I do down fighting in final singles

but Americans have upper hand

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By BOB LENTZ
Great Britain & Ireland regained some pride with a fighting display in the final singles but were still convincingly beaten by the United States in the 42nd Walker Cup at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania.
Faced with a mountain to climb after losing the three previous sessions, Colin Dalgleish's players battled bravely for their Scottish captain on the closing afternoon but, in the end, still came up well short, losing 16 1/2-9 1/2.
After three wins in a row for GB&I – a run sparked at Nairn in 1999 – the Americans have now regained the upper hand in an event once dubbed the "Walkover Cup" due to their dominance with a hat-trick of their own.
The next match, in 2011, will be played at Royal Aberdeen, and the man handed the task of leading GB&I into battle over the Balgownie course – Dalgleish will be stepping down after the traditional two bites at the cherry offered by the R&A – will certainly be hoping he can stop the rot in the same way that Paul Azinger gave the Americans something to cheer in the Ryder Cup following two heavy defeats in a row.
For Dalgleish, it was the second time he'd been beaten by a team captained by George "Buddy" Marucci Jnr, the Merion member having the added satisfaction of completing his double on home soil after he'd also led the Americans to a 12-11 victory at Royal County Down two years ago.
"At 8-4 (after the first day], I felt we were still within touching distance, but we then had a mountain to climb after losing the second foursomes session," reflected Dalgleish, the former Scottish amateur champion from Helensburgh.
"There was some fantastic golf by both sides in the singles but, in the end, we came up a bit short."
Gavin Dear, one of the two Scots in the GB&I team, at least had the consolation of signing off with a win. The 25-year-old from Scone who plays his golf at Murrayshall did the job he was asked to do by Dalgleish, putting the first point on the board with an excellent 3 and 2 win over Brian Harman, who was also on the winning US team in 2005.
One down at the turn, Dear turned the match around with the help of three birdies in the space of six holes. It was the second time the pair had found themselves going head-to-head over the weekend, the spoils being shared 24 hours earlier when both Dear and fellow Scot Wallace Booth were among four GB&I players who earned half points in their matches.
Booth, who had tasted success together with Englishman Sam Hutsby in the morning's play yesterday, was also on course to end his amateur career with a win. But, after being one up with three to play, the Comrie player lost the 16th to a par and 17th to a bogey as he eventually succumbed to Morgan Hoffmann.
In his foursomes on the second day, Dear and Englishman Matt Haines won the first three holes against Harman and Adam Mitchell, only for the Americans to rally strongly as they fought back for a 3 and 2 win.
Leading 11-5 at lunchtime on Sunday, the Americans went into the singles needing only two points to retain the trophy and they were duly delivered by Rickie Fowler, who beat Matt Haines, and Cameron Tringale, who thumped Luke Goddard by 8 and 6 – the third biggest winning margin in the event's history.
Fowler's win saw him end his amateur career with seven points from eight matches in the last two Walker Cups, the first player to do that in consecutive matches since Luke Donald.
"This is why I stuck around," said Fowler, who plans to make his professional debut this week on the Nationwide Tour. Praising the 20-year-old from California, Marucci Jnr commented: "I'm not sure that anyone has played for the US like Rickie has in the last two Walker Cups."
In addition to Dear, Sam Hutsby, Tommy Fleetwood and Niall Kearney also won in the singles, while Chris Paisley secured a further half point. But those contributions could not stop the Americans from winning the final session as well.

COMPLETED RESULTS CHECK

SATURDAY
FOURSOMES (3-1)
(US names first)
Brian Harman & Morgan Hoffmann bt Wallace Booth & Sam Hutsby 2 & 1.
Peter Uihlein & Nathan Smith bt Gavin Dear & Matt Haines 1 hole.
Rickie Fowler & Bud Cauley bt Luke Goddard & Dale Whitnell 6 & 5.
Cameron Tringale & Adam Mitchell lost to Stiggy Hodgson & Niall Kearney 3 & 1.
SINGLES (5-3)
Brian Harman halved with Gavin Dear.
Rickie Fowler bt Sam Hutsby 7 & 6.
Cameron Tringale halved with Wallace Booth.
Morgan Hoffmann halved with Matt Haines.
Peter Uihlein bt Tommy Fleetwood 2 & 1.
Drew Weaver halved with Chris Paisley.
Bud Cauley bt Niall Kearney 2 & 1.
Brendan Gielow lost to Stiggy Hodgson 2 & 1.

SUNDAY
FOURSOMES (3-1)
B Harman and A Mitchell bt G Dear and M Haines 3 & 2.
R Fowler and B Cauley bt S Hodgson and N Kearney 1 hole.
D Weaver and B Gielow lost to W Booth and S Hutsby 3 & 2.
N Smith and P Uihlein bt C Paisley and D Whitnell 5 & 4.

SINGLES (5 1/2-4 1/2)
B Harman lost to G Dear 3 & 2.
R Fowler bt M Haines 2 & 1.
P Uihlein bt S Hodgson 3 & 1.
P Hoffmann bt W Booth 1 hole.
B Cauley halved with C Paisley.
A Mitchell lost to S Hutsby 1 hole.
D Weaver lost to T Fleetwood 1 hole.
C Tringale bt L Goddard 8 & 6.
N Smith lost to N Kearney 3 & 2.
B Gielow bt D Whitnell 4 & 3.