US fightback at CordeValle

The United States issued a stark reminder that Great Britain & Ireland will have to come out all guns blazing if they are to recapture the PGA Cup at CordeValle, California.

After losing the morning fourballs 3-1 the hosts struck back to sweep the foursomes 3.5-0.5 to lead 4.5-3.5 overnight.

Jon Bevan’s GB&I team made a near faultless start in the morning fourballs with victories for the pairings of Michael Watson and Cameron Clark, David Dixon and Graham Fox and Gareth Wright and Jason Levermore.

A hugely positive display also saw Lee Clarke and Paul Hendriksen take Omar Uresti and Sean Dougherty to the last.

But it was a different story after lunch and when Ben Polland, 25, the youngest player in US history, drained a 15 foot putt for a half in the last match on the course against Wright and Levermore, the Americans had regained the initiative.

Traditionally a weaker format for the US, there was little evidence in the hot California sunshine as they delivered a searing performance to galvanise their PGA Cup defence.

With temperature soaring, Bob Sowards and Jamie Broce proved even hotter on the greens, notching an impressive seven birdies in 11 holes to defeat Clark and Clarke 8&7.

“We got spanked in the afternoon, that was one of the best putting performance I’ve ever seen,” said Clarke.

Fox and Dixon also ran into a brick wall in the shape of Mike Block and Stuart Deane – going down 4&3.

“We had a slack second and third but after that we played great, had good birdie chances on nearly every hole but missed a quarter of the ball on high side and just kept shaving the hole,” said Fox. “The slack start ultimately cost us.”

While the US performance caught his team on the hop Bevan admitted he wasn’t surprised and blamed himself for not using the lunch break better.

“This afternoon was what I expected from the USA this morning and we definitely got the better of that,” he said.

“If my guys gave me all they had then that is absolutely fine. We’ll regroup, and come out tomorrow with a different objective but with the same end result and goal.

“The hardest thing I’ve found is people around me sharing their excitement when we were up but I’ve stayed on the level because I knew what was coming.

“America obviously used the lunch break better than we used lunch. I’m the captain I take responsibility – it won’t happen again tomorrow.”

US captain Allen Wronowski revealed his team were fired up for the foursomes.

“They were ready to go back out after lunch and redeem themselves. They were real close on the puts this morning, GB&I holed some phenomenal ones this morning and this time we made them and they missed a few.

“That was some spectacular golf, our team of Sowards and Broce were seven under through 11 holes, that’s good for a four man scramble team.”

Earlier GB&I’s two oldest players, Wessex Golf Centre’s Watson and Moor Hall’s Clark had posted the first point on the board – the former sinking a 15 footer for birdie on the 16^th to defeat Matt Dobyns and Polland 3&2.

“I was a little nervous on the first, I was trying not to get a few tears in my eyes because it was a big moment for us,” said Watson.

His partner added: “It was a really proud moment for both of us. We’ve been trying to get in this team for a long time, we’ve know each other a long time and have a lot of faith in each other and I think the guys had a lot of faith in us.

“And being the two oldest in the team means a lot. They were a very strong pairing but anyone would have done well to beat us.”

Full scoreboard here.

** Saturday morning fourballs here.