GB&I still California dreaming

It was a day for heroes at CordeValle, California as Great Britain & Ireland’s PGA Cup lions roared back into contention against the might of America.

Jon Bevan’s team nicked the Saturday morning fourballs 2.5-1.5 and then under a scorching sun shared the foursomes to tie the match 8-8 going into the Sunday singles. (Singles draw here)

Among those to shine was Niall Kearney who bagged two points while Jason Levermore and Gareth Wright are unbeaten in four matches.

But there was plenty on the line as the third session neared its climax. Trailing in three matches as they hit the turn in the foursomes, GB&I displayed the kind of grit and determination exhibited by their captain in his PGA Cup playing days.

As a result they head into the Sunday singles with a realistic chance of making history with a first win on US soil.

Channels pro Levermore and Wright (West Linton) posted the first half point of the afternoon with another  coming from Clydeway Golf’s Graham Fox and Enmore Park’s David Dixon. The latter had been dormie three in the morning fourballs and let that slip so were especially determined to make amends.

“We were fighting all the way, we had a couple of putts that didn’t run and we thought here we go again but I holed a good putt on 10 and that gave us momentum,” said Fox.

“It was a high standard match, it was a really important half. It was nice to not see another win go up against us.”

Dixon added: “We just didn’t give up. I didn’t know what to expect in the PGA Cup but it gets you’re blood flowing and makes you fight like mad. I’ve never fought so hard.”

Moor Hal’s Cameron Clark and Royal Dublin’s Kearney also rose to the challenge with a 2&1 victory against Sean Dougherty and Grant Sturgeon. Clark did it in style too by holing a 50 foot putt on 16.

“After yesterday, we were licking our wounds, so just to go out and play well was important,” said Clark.

“This afternoon was just huge as we were a bit down in the team room after yesterday.”

In the other match Beeston Field’s Lee Clarke and Hartlepool’s Alex Wrigley went down 2&1 to Mike Block and Stuart Deane.

Afterwards Bevan reiterated his faith in his team.

“We set out this morning to win the day – which we managed to do – so we are back in the game,” said Bevan.

“We’re in a position of having a chance after two days. I’ve never stopped believing.

“We fully expected what our guys would give us today without underestimating what was coming our way.

“We’re good, the opposition are powerful and I’ve still got faith. The boys are getting stronger every day. There is still a lot of work to do but today was a small victory in an epic battle.”

In the morning fourballs, GB&I had wrestled back the momentum by winning the session 2.5-1.5 to leave the match perfectly poised at 6-6 going into the foursomes.

It was the perfect riposte after the disappointment of losing the Friday foursomes when they gleaned a solitary half point.

And in fact the Saturday fourballs might have been even better but for the feisty Omar Uresti.

The American from Onion Club Creek in Texas served up a birdie, birdie, eagle finish to claim a vital half point alongside Sean Dougherty against Fox and Dixon who had been dormie three standing on the 16th.

“If my putter had been working it would have been all over by the 13th,” said Fox.

Uresti wasn’t the only man to hole crucial putts though with Kearney nailing a 20 footer on 16 for birdie to square his and Wrigley’s match with Matt Dobyns and Ben Polland.

“It was one of those,” he said. “I hit a great tee shot, I thought it would have been really tight but it just found one of the slopes and it rolled out 20 feet. It was one of those, it was in or it was 10 foot past.”

The ex-Walker Cup player then arrowed in a long iron on the par five 18th to set up a birdie which wrapped up a 1UP victory.

”Alex was carrying me for the first nine holes and I managed to find a bit of game at the end. He was brilliant out there,” said Kearney.

In the first match Levermore continued his rich vein of form with the putter as he and Wright closed out Mike Block and Stuart Deane 3&2.

Levermore, birdied 11, 13 and 14 with Wright joining the party on 16 with a 12 foot putt for birdie.

“We dovetailed nicely. We were a bit slow on the front nine but were five under for the last six or seven holes so finished strong,” said Levermore.

In the final match, the West Country pairing of Mike Watson (Wessex Golf Centre) and Paul Hendriksen (Ivybridge) went down 4&2 to Alan Morin and Grant Sturgeon.