2009 Walker Cup: How did they do?
Stiggy Hodgson (pictured)
Age: 19
Club: Sunningdale, Berkshire
P4 W2 H0 L2
ARGUABLY the man of the match for GB&I. Hodgson won plenty of new
fans around Merion with his sensational short game and never-say-die
attitude. Used a hot putter to great effect in the opening foursomes
matches before putting the only GB&I singles victory on the board
against Brendan Gielow in the final match on Saturday. However, came up
against the USA's top performers on the final day and ran out of steam
having played all four matches.
Sam Hutsby
Age: 21
Club: Liphook, Hampshire
P4 W2 H0 L2
PARTNERED Booth well in the foursomes to end the week with a W1 L1
record and repeated this form in his singles matches. Didn't do himself
justice against Rickie Fowler - America's best player - on the opening
day but redeemed himself on the final day by securing two points for
GB&I. Especially impressive in the singles where having never been
ahead in his match against Adam Mitchell he went 1-up on 17 and closed
out the match on 18.
Niall Kearney
Age: 21
Club: Royal Dublin, Ireland
P4 W2 H0 L2
THE only Irishman in the side, he formed an impressive partnership with
Hodgson and ended the week as joint top scorer for GB&I. Battled
hard against the irrepressible Bud Cauley in Saturday's singles and was
equally as impressive on Sunday when faced with the challenge of Cauley
and Fowler in the foursomes. Holed a monster putt at 15 on Sunday to
stay ahead of Nathan Smith and help to salvage some pride for GB&I.
Gavin Dear
Age: 25
Club: Murrayshall, Perthshire
P4 W1 H1 L2
VIEWED as the lynchpin to GB&I's success, Colin Dalgleish sent Dear
out early in each of his four matches. And the plan almost came off. He
narrowly lost the Saturday foursomes with Haines before winning three
of the last five holes to clinch a half-point in the singles. Continued
his impressive form in the singles on Sunday and kept the GB&I
dream alive for a little longer with a stunning win over Brian Harman.
Wallace Booth
Age: 24
Club: Comrie, Perthsire
P4 W1 H1 L2
THE experienced Scot salvaged a half point in the Saturday singles to
help keep the GB&I side in with a shout going into the last day. He
was the only player, along with Hutsby, to win a point in the final-day
foursomes after building an insurmountable lead by being 5-up at the
turn. Booth was also unlucky not to have at least halved his singles
match with Morgan Hoffmann on Sunday. Unfortunately, GB&I needed
even more from him.
Tommy Fleetwood
Age: 23
Club: Formby Hall, Lancashire
P2 W1 H0 L1
CAPPED a mixed week with a battling victory over the experienced Drew
Weaver. Having been forced to watch from the sidelines in both sets of
foursomes matches, he acquitted himself well in the face of two tough
opponents in the singles matches. Narrowly lost out to Peter Uihlein on
Saturday after dragging the match back from 4-down before taking Weaver
down the last to set up a dramatic finish.
Luke Goddard
Age: 20
Club: Hendon, London
P2 W0 H0 L2
NOT a week in which the reigning English Amateur champion did himself
justice. Having enjoyed the best season of his career, Hendon lost form
at the worst possible time. He suffered a heavy 6&5 defeat in the
opening foursomes matches against the dream-team of Fowler and Cauley
and didn't figure again until the final day's singles matches. There he
again suffered a crushing defeat and allowed Cameron Tringale the
opportunity to retain the Walker Cup for the USA.
Matt Haines
Age: 22
Club: Rochester & Cobham Park, Kent
P4 W0 H1 L3
UNLUCKY to have walked away from the matches with only half a point to
his name. Haines lost holes at crucial times late on in both foursomes
matches with Dear but showed extreme battling qualities in both singles
matches. Set up a half-point against Morgan Hoffmann on Saturday with a
dead-weight chip on the last and did his best to hold off star-man
Fowler in possibly the most crucial match for the USA on Sunday.
Chris Paisley
Age: 23
Club: Stocksfield, Northumberland
P3 W0 H2 L1
HAD a baptism of fire as his first experience of the Walker Cup was
going up against former British Amateur champion Drew Weaver in the
singles on Saturday. However, four years at college in the States meant
that Paisley was not daunted by the American's record and the
Englishman came back from 3-down to halve the match. Also dented
Cauley's chances of a perfect record for the week by securing a
half-point in a humdinger of a singles match that could have gone
either way.
Dale Whitnell
Age: 21
Club: Five Lakes, Essex
P3 W0 H0 L3
LIKE countryman Goddard, the week at Merion was not the happiest of
times for Whitnell who failed to register a point for GB&I.
Struggled to find his winning form of this season in both the foursomes
and singles matches. However, in fairness to him he led the bottom
match on Sunday for much of the way and by the time he had shaken hands
with Gielow on the 15th green on Sunday, the game was well and truly
up.
Read a full review of the 2009 Walker Cup tournament here.