U.S. fends off GB&I to win Walker Cup at Seminole Golf Club

JUNO BEACH, FLORIDA - MAY 09: Team USA poses with the trophy after defeating Team Great Britain and Ireland on Day Two of The Walker Cup at Seminole Golf Club on May 09, 2021 in Juno Beach, Florida.
Cliff Hawkins / Getty Images Sport / Getty

JUNO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Austin Eckroat and Pierceson Coody got the United States off to a fast start, and Cole Hammer and Stewart Hagestad finished off Great Britain & Ireland in the Walker Cup.

Ricky Castillo won again, too, and the Americans took five of the 10 afternoon singles matches and tied another at Seminole Golf Club for a 14-12 victory.

The Americans won for the third straight time to take a 38-9-1 lead in the biennial event first played in 1922.

Nathaniel Crosby, the son of late crooner Bing Crosby, became the first U.S. captain with back-to-back victories since Buddy Marucci in 2007 and 2009.

Eckroat overwhelmed Mark Power 7 and 6 in the opening match, and Coody beat Alex Fitzpatrick 3 and 1 in the second. Castillo topped John Murphy 2 and 1 to become the only player to finish the two-day event 4-0.

Hammer beat Ben Schmidt 4 and 3 in the second-to-last match, and Hagestad put the Americans over the top when he was 4 up with four to play in a 4-and-2 victory over Ben Jones.

Quade Cummins gave the U.S. a half-point, winning the 18th with a par to pull even with Barclay Brown.

British Amateur champion Long, Matty Lamb, Angus Flanagan and Jack Dyer won matches for GB&I.

GB&I took 2 1/2 of the four points in the morning foursomes to pull within a half-point.

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