Stuart Grehan hits stunner on 18 to earn halved match alongside Eliot Baker

Stuart Grehan hit a stunning three-wood to the edge of the 18th that helped Great Britain and Ireland forge a 2.5-1.5 lead in the 51st Walker Cup at a windless Lahinch.

The Tullamore man ripped a towering draw from 275 yards that just failed to clamber on the green.

But it allowed Eliot Baker to nudge their third up close and set up a birdie that world number one Preston Stout couldn’t match from just outside five feet, resulting in a valuable halved match.

“It was so cool,” said the County Louth star, who had the honour of hitting the first tee shot for the home team in front of a massive home gallery on a morning when only a light breeze wafted across the links after days of practice in high winds.

“There were a lot of people out there today, which was nice, and the majority were for us, which was really cool. 

“I was very nervous before I got on the tee, but when I got on the tee, I was actually quite calm. I just went into my process and hit a nice one up there. Once that happens, the nerves kind of go.”

After a tight battle where neither team could forge more than a one-up lead — the USA at the second and Great Britain and Ireland at the fourth — a birdie at the 279-yard 13th, where Grehan drove the green, put the home side one up.

It was the USA that turned things around, however, when Stout made a 25-footer for a two at the 16th to square the match, and Baker lipped out for par from four feet at the 17th to hand the visitors the lead.

“I don’t think any of us got more than one up, so I think a half is a fair result in the end,” said Grehan, who was the strong man in the pairing, especially with his pace putting.

“I was expecting him [Stout] to hole it [at the 16th], to be honest. I wasn’t surprised at all. It was just one of those things. I was surprised Eliot missed his putt on 17, and I’m sure he was as well. 

“But we kind of said to each other, this is going to go to 18 anyway today, so we’re just happy enough to get the half in the end.”

As for that brilliant approach shot into the wind on the 18th, he said: “That was nice. I played pretty well today.” 

The Tullamore man put GB&I in the driving seat when he drove the par-four 13th and set up a winning birdie after seven halves in a row.

“Yeah, it was cool,” he said. “I was a nice three-wood into a little bit of an amphitheatre there. It was cool to hear the roar and get them going.”

Great Britain and Ireland’s Connor Graham and Tyler Weaver edged out Jay Leng Jnr and Kihei Akina one-up in the second match before Luke Poulter and Sam Easterbrook fought back to all square from three down after 10 holes to left-handers Miles Russell and Tyler Watts.

In the end, teenager Russell (17) made a clutch birdie at the 18th to give the USA their lone win.

In the bottom match, Niall Sheils Donegan and Josh Hill cruised to a 4&3 win over Josiah Gilbert and Ryder Cowan.

The match included a controversial incident at the ninth after GB&I had birdied the seventh and eighth to go four up.

Sheils Donegan watched his seven-foot birdie putt slide two feet past the hole and raked his putt away before it had been conceded, resulting in the loss of the hole.

“Unfortunately, I had a little bit of brainlessness from me on nine, but those two birdies were massive for us to build a good margin where nine could happen and it wouldn’t really punish us too much,” Sheils Donegan said. “We did a great job in defence of that.

“Points are massive. Points are what get you over the line. To get one feels great. Going out this afternoon to try to get another.”

Great Britain and Ireland skipper Dean Robertson was pleased with the morning session despite the lack of wind.

“So from a five-club wind, we went to California again,” he joked. “So I was thinking what’s going on?

“But it was a brilliant performance. Collectively, we were 15-under par for our four foursomes matches there. And the match that lost, the third match, were five-under par on their own ball and lost to Watts and Miles Russell. Such is the standard, which is incredible.

“We’re 2 1/2-1 1/2 ahead with the flat, calm weather; I’m ecstatic about that. That’s a brilliant start for us.”

US Amateur champion Jack Whaley and fellow Englishman Ben Bolton, who sat out the foursomes, return for this afternoon’s singles with Easterbrook and Hill sitting out.

William Jennings and veteran Stewart Hagestad, who makes his sixth appearance for the USA, come in for the singles with Akina and Cowan rested.

51st Walker Cup Match, Lahinch GC

Foursomes (USA names first)

USA 1.5 – Great Britain and Ireland 2.5

Preston Stout &  Ethan Fang halved with Stuart Grehan and & Eliot Baker

Jay Leng Jnr & Kihei Akina lost to Connor Graham & Tyler Weaver 1 hole

Miles Russell & Tyler Watts beat Luke Poulter & Sam Easterbrook 1 hole 

Josiah Gilbert & Ryder Cowan lost to Niall Sheils Donegan & Josh Hill 4&3

Afternoon singles (USA names first)

1 Preston Stout v Stuart Grehan

2 Ethan Fang v Jack Whaley

3 William Jennings v Connor Graham

4 Jay Leng Jnr v Tyler Weaver

5 Stewart Hagestad v Ben Bolton

6 Miles Russell v Luke Poulter

7 Tyler Watts v Niall Sheils Donegan

8 Josiah Gilbert v Eliot Baker