USA wins Walker Cup for third time in a row

The United States has won its third straight Walker Cup, taking five singles matches and halving another for a 16?9?victory against Great Britain and Ireland at Merion Golf Club.

Americans Rickie Fowler and Peter Uihlein won all four of their weekend matches, and Cameron Tringale (FSY) won in an 8-and-6 romp in the third-largest winning margin by a U.S. player in singles.

Fowler抯 victory punctuated a solid amateur career. Tringale抯 victory ensured the U.S. would retain the title, and Uihlein抯 3-and-1 victory over Stiggy Hodgson won it outright.

The U.S. team抯 margin of victory was the largest since an 18-6 win in 1997, at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. The Americans lead the series 34-7-1.

The U.S. team needed two points in the Sunday singles to retain the cup and 2{ to win the championship after going 3-1 in the morning抯 alternate-shot matches that provided an 11-5 advantage.

Bud Cauley halved his singles with Chris Paisley and finished 3-0-1 for the U.S., which also got inpidual wins from Morgan Hoffmann and Brendan Gielow.

George 揃uddy?Marucci Jr., a Merion member, won his second straight title as U.S. captain. The 2008 U.S. Senior Amateur champion was a two-time Walker Cup player, in 1995 and 1997.

Scotland抯 Gavin Dear, in the first singles pairing, tried to kick-start a GB&I comeback, posting a 3-and-2 victory over Brian Harman (FSY).

揑 like going out early. I feel as though I can go up,?Dear said. 揑f the guys see that score, maybe it could give them some kind of incentive or a bit of confidence.?br />
But the six-point deficit after the morning session proved too big an obstacle to overcome for the GB&I under captain Colin Dalgleish, who dropped his second in a row.

Sam Hutsby, Tommy Fleetwood and Niall Kearney supplied GB&sI抯 other singles wins.

Fowler and Uihlein, teammates at Oklahoma State along with Hoffmann, starred for the U.S. squad.

Delaying turning pro until after his second straight Walker Cup, Fowler played the 18th hole just once, Sunday morning when he and Cauley prevailed 1-up.

The 20-year-old from Murrieta, Calif., closed out his amateur career on the 17th hole and got a hearty handshake and hug from Marucci. He finished with a 7-1 Walker Cup record, unbeaten in four foursomes, and 3-1 in singles.

揑 don抰 think anybody has played for the U.S. team in the Walker Cup the way Rickie has,?Marucci said.

The 20-year-old Uihlein, from Orlando, was one of the last two picks to the 10-man team. He teamed with Nathan Smith, the oldest member of the American squad at 31, for a pair of alternate-shot victories and had wins of 2-and-1 and 3-and-1 in singles.

After three consecutive losses from 1999-2003, the Americans followed victories at Chicago Golf Club in Illinois and Royal County Down in Northern Ireland with a win at venerable Merion East, which was hosting a record 18th USGA championship.

Marucci抯 squad dominated on the same course where five-time U.S. Walker Cup member Bobby Jones played his first and last U.S. Amateur ?completing the Grand Slam with the latter ?and where Ben Hogan won the 1950 U.S. Open.

The USA won three in a row from 1983-87 as part of an eight-title run between 1973 and 1987. GB&I won three straight titles from 1999-2003, before the current U.S. run.

The Americans raced to a 3-1 lead after Saturday抯 alternate-shot matches and held an 8-4 edge after the first day following three wins and four halves in afternoon singles.