27/08/2023
GB&I’s first significant impact on the matches came in 1977 during one of the best duels in PGA Cup history at Mission Hills, California.
Led by Jack Hargreaves, GB&I were trailing by three points heading into the final day, but they won the singles 6-3 to force a draw. It was the first time since 1927 that a visiting Ryder Cup or PGA Cup team didn’t go home a loser.
Pictured: 1977 GB&I team captained by Jack Hargreaves, Mission Hills, California
The following year on the back of their heroics on U.S. soil, GB&I notched their first win – a fine 10.5 – 6.5 victory at St. Mellion, with Scotland’s Alastair Thomson excelling, with two wins and a halved match.
Pictured: 1978 GB&I team, St. Mellion
Twelve months later at a windswept Castletown, Isle of Man, GB&I recorded back-to-back wins over the U.S. thanks to an emphatic 12.5-4.5 victory. David Huish and Peter Butler were undefeated in their three outings.
Huish made eight PGA Cup appearances and went on to become team captain in 1988 but not before he set a record of 18 victories that still stands today.
GB&I suffered one of their heaviest PGA Cup defeats in 1980, going down 15-6 at Oak Tree club in Edmond, Oklahoma in the new format that still exists today - foursomes and fourballs on the first two days with singles matches being played on the final day.
Pictured: David Huish, right, in 1980
The following year, GB&I produced one of their best performances on U.S. soil, as they came from behind to draw 10.5 points each at Turnberry Isle, Florida.
The U.S. returned to winning ways in 1982 in Tennessee and in this topsy-turvy series of contests, the next two matches in 1983 and 1984, both in Scotland, at Muirfield and Turnberry, were comfortable wins for the home team. But if those two strong performances had garnered expectations of further success, the Americans quickly dispelled that notion and it was to be 21 years before a GB&I team managed to regain the trophy.
Strangely, 1988 at The Belfry was the first away victory for the U.S. in 12 years, totalling 15.5 points to the home side’s 10.5, and two years later it proved to be a one-sided affair. Bruce Fleisher wrote his name all over the contest at Turtle Point, South Carolina in 1990 notching a 4-0 personal tally in a series record victory of 19-7.
Pictured: 1996 GB&I team, captained by Craig DeFoy, Gleneagles
The Americans won the next two matches 15-11 both at The K Club, Ireland (1992) and PGA National, Florida (1994) before they met for a thrilling contest at Gleneagles, Scotland in 1996.
Amazingly every session was halved and with GB&I a point ahead, it all depended on the final singles match between Scotsman Bill Longmuir and Jeff Roth. Longmuir was two up with four to play but he bogeyed all four final holes and the Llandudno International Trophy was torn from GB&I’s grasp.
In 1998, the Americans retained the trophy with a comfortable 17-9 victory at Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs.
Celtic Manor in 2000 inspired the hosts to a stronger performance as they dominated the singles 6-4 for the first time since 1984. But America’s three-point lead after the opening two days proved decisive and the visitors wrapped up a narrow victory by just one point.
Pictured: Victorious 2003 US team at Port St. Lucie, Florida
At Port St. Lucie, Florida three years later, the 2003 hosts overwhelmed the visitors, storming to a 15-1 lead after two days before wrapping up a 19-7 victory.
In 2005 however, more than two decades of frustration were brought to a close at The K Club by a GB&I team captained by Jim Farmer.
After some brilliant golf on the first two days to establish a 12.5-3.5 advantage, the hosts wrapped up a 15-11 win despite a valiant fightback in the singles by the U.S., with England’s Darren Parris winning all five of his matches.
Pictured: 2005 GB&I team, captained by Jim Farmer with the PGA Cup trophy, The K Club, Ireland
Georgia’s magnificent Reynolds Plantation and the Oconee Course was the setting for the 23rd matches in 2007 where the U.S. regained the trophy by 13.5-12.5 margin.
The next two encounters, at The Carrick on Loch Lomond in 2009 and CordeValle two years later, were not so closely contested with the U.S. chalking up successive 17.5 – 8.5 victories to reassert their grip on the Llandudno Trophy.
At Slaley Hall, the U.S. retained the trophy but only just as Russell Weir returned to lead his 2013 side to a stunning Sunday singles fightback.
The visiting team seemed destined for a comfortable win heading into the singles with a five-point lead, needing two-and-half points to retain the trophy. But GB&I swept the singles 7.5 – 2.5 to tie 13-13 and leave Northumberland with heads held high.
Pictured: 2011 and 2013 GB&I captain, Duncan Weir
Jon Bevan led GB&I to their first ever PGA Cup win on U.S. soil at CordeValle, California in 2015.
Ireland’s Niall Kearney held his nerve to sink a seven-foot putt on the last to clinch a memorable victory and ensure Bevan’s team went down in the PGA Cup annals as history makers.
Pictured: 2015 GB&I team, captained by Jon Bevan celebrating the first win on U.S. soil, CordeValle, California
Great Britain & Ireland recorded back-to-back wins over the U.S. at Foxhills two years later where Scotsman Grieg Hutcheon sank the winning putt on the 17th of the Longcross course to finish 16-10 but the trophy was back in the hands of the U.S. team following a pulsating clash at Barton Creek Resort, Texas in 2019.
Pictured:2017 GB&I team, captained by Albert Mackenzie
In a match full of twists and turns, the Americans led 5-3 heading into day two, but Cameron Clark’s side fought back, winning seven out of eight matches as they looked to achieve an unprecedented three PGA Cup wins on the bounce.
However, the U.S. recorded one of the competition’s greatest comebacks. Trailing 10-6, the hosts produced some scintillating golf to win the match 14-12, their first outright victory since 2011. It was a match that had everything, but sadly for GB&I, there had to be a loser.
Foxhills became only the second venue to host the home matches twice, following The K Club (1992 and 2005) when they welcomed the 30th contest in 2022. The United States won by five points to retain the trophy.
