US holds steady, wins closest Cup in 10 years

JUNO BEACH — 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 Sunday at Seminole Golf Club for a 14-12 victory, the closest result since the 14-12 GB&I win in 2011.

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. Long beat John Pak 1 up, Lamb topped Davis Thompson 2 up, Flanagan beat William Mouw 1 up, and Dyer edged U.S. Amateur champion Tyler Strafaci 1 up.

Long played Sunday afternoon after missing the first three sessions because of a stomach virus that affected both teams and their captains. Strafaci sat out Saturday.

GB&I took 2 ½ of the four points in the morning foursomes to pull within a half-point.

Power and Murphy beat Coody and Pak 1 up, Lamb and Dyer routed Hagestad and Strafaci 6 and 5, and Flanagan and Schmidt halved with Hammer and Thompson. Ricky Castillo and Mouw topped Fitzpatrick and Brown 1 up.

GB&I last won on American soil in 2001 at Ocean Forest in St. Simons Island, Georgia.

The 2023 event is set for the Old Course at St. Andrews.

BRYNN ANDERSON/AP Austin Eckroat, of the U.S. team, hits his tee shot on the third hole in the singles matches during the Walker Cup on Sunday at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach.