The massive trouble never arrived though for the red, white and blue as Watts buried a clutch putt on the final hole to turn up the heat once again on the GB&I pairing. <\/p>\n
Easterbook\u2019s read was correct. The result was less than desirable.<\/p>\n
Instead of that 3-1 lead, GB&I now carries a 2 1\/2 to 1 1\/2 advantage after the first four alternate-shot matches in Ireland, where the wind \u2014 which had been blowing out of the southwest all week \u2014 switched to a southeasterly direction early Saturday before dying down considerably from the 30 mph-plus gusts that impacted Friday\u2019s practice round.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a match-by-match breakdown of how the morning session played out with the afternoon singles matches underway on Golf Channel and Golf Channel mobile.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Watch the leading male amateurs compete in Day 1 of the 2026 Walker Cup at Lahinch Golf Club in County Clare, Ireland.<\/p>\n Match 1: Stuart Grehan\/Eliot Baker (GB&I) tied Preston Stout\/Ethan Fang (USA)<\/p>\n Grehan missed a 7-footer for birdie as the Americans took a 1-up lead after two holes during the morning\u2019s first match.<\/p>\n This one came down to the back nine, though \u2014 and more specifically the 18th green, where a missed American putt secured the half-point for Grehan and Baker. <\/p>\n \u201cI think a half-point is a fair result, and my guess is they\u2019d probably say the same,\u201d said Grehan after the match.<\/p>\n Match 2: Niall Sheils Donegan\/Josh Hill (GB&I) def. Ryder Cowan and Josiah Gilbert (USA), 4 and 3<\/p>\n Donegan gave a little fist pump after walking in a 20-footer for birdie at the par-3 eighth as the lead pushed to 4 up.<\/p>\n He had no idea the controversy that was waiting for him at the next hole …<\/p>\n Some drama here at The Walker Cup<\/p>\n Niall Sheils Donegan scoops up his missed putt quickly before it was given to him. Ryder Cowan from the USA Team has to call in an official.<\/p>\n The hole was given to the U.S. \ud83d\udc40 pic.twitter.com\/SsLeXZLUg3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Donegan overcame that gaff, though, as he and Hill delivered the first point of the 51st Walker Cup to GB&I. And it came with relative ease, too.<\/p>\n The pair stretched the lead to 3 up after the 13th hole, and went on to close it out two holes later at the par-4 15th.<\/p>\n \u201cYou screw up but it\u2019s not about how you screw up it\u2019s about how you bounce back, and we bounced back amazingly,\u201d Donegan said of the incident on the ninth.<\/p>\n Match 3: Connor Graham\/Tyler Weaver (GB&I) def. Kihei Akina and Jay Leng (USA), 1 up<\/p>\n This match was a dogfight from the start, with seven combined birdies in the first four holes.<\/p>\n Leng rolled in a par save from off the green at the first, but Graham made a 12-footer for birdie to win the hole. Graham dropped another birdie, from 25 feet, to earn a tie at the second hole and remain 1 up.<\/p>\n At the par-4 third, Graham made a third straight birdie putt, this one from more than 50 feet. Akina answered with a chip in to keep the Americans 1 down.<\/p>\n Graham\u2019s fourth straight birdie came from 15 feet at the par-5 fourth, which earned another tie.<\/p>\n Graham hit five putts on the first five holes and made all of them.<\/p>\n We may need to send a push notification if he makes another one.<\/p>\n Connor Graham of GB&I sank over 100 feet of putts in his first THREE holes … and he didn’t stop there.<\/p>\n Just watch this. Insane. And go turn on The Walker Cup on Golf Channel or Golf Channel Mobile! pic.twitter.com\/4wsJAkQVfe<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788640814_150_.jpeg\")
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