PGA Cup triumph for David Higgins

THE Great Britain & Ireland team which included Ireland’s Damian McGrane and David Higgins triumphed against the USA by sixteen matches to ten at Foxhills in Surrey over the weekend to register back to back victories in the event for the first time since 1984 and retain the cup which they won at Cordevalle, California in 2015.

Paired with England’s Christopher Currie in Friday morning’s opening fourballs, Higgins and his partner emerged as the only winners (by3/1) for the home side as the USA took a 3-1 lead.

The two Irishmen were then paired together for the afternoon foursomes and managed a half as the home side rallied to take the foursomes by three and a half to a half to lead by a point at the end of the day.

In Saturday’s fourballs Higgins and Currie teamed up again for another win (4/3) as GB & I took the fourballs by 3 matches to one to lead by seven and a half to four and a half going into the afternoon’s foursomes.

The two Irishmen were again paired together but lost by 4/3 as the Americans hit back to take the foursomes by three matches to one and leave just a point between the sides going in to Sunday’s singles.

McGrane went out number one and in spite of a terrible start (Bogey-Double Bogey-Bogey) against Mark Brown which saw him two down after three and still two down after seven, he rallied to win the eight, and then won four holes on the spin from the twelfth to carve out a 4/3 victory.

Higgins playing the anchor man in the last of the ten singles was never behind in his match against Adam Rainaud, closing out the American by 3/2 as GB & I took the singles by seven and a half to two and a half and the overall match by sixteen to ten with Higgins contributing three wins, a half and one defeat from his five games while McGrane registered two wins, a half and two defeats.