GB&I win the Walker Cup at Lahinch with record comeback

Great Britain and Ireland have won the Walker Cup for the first time since 2015, coming from three points down on the final day at Lahinch to beat the United States in the 51st edition of the match. The position looked close to hopeless on Sunday morning. GB&I lost the foursomes without taking a point, and no side had ever recovered a three-point deficit to win the match. The visiting team carried seven of the world's top ten ranked amateurs, and all ten of their players sat inside the top 25. Six of the home side had played in the defeat at Cypress Point in 2025. The singles turned it. Jack Whaley of England reached six under par after 11 holes and beat William Jennings 8&7, the biggest winning margin by a GB&I player since the format moved to 18 holes. Stuart Grehan came from behind for a second day running to see off Preston Stout, the world's leading amateur, and points from Luke Poulter and Tyler Weaver kept the recovery moving. It came down to Josh Hill, at 22 the lowest ranked player on either side. He got up and down from a greenside bunker at the last to beat Tyler Watts by a hole and settle the match. Paul McGinley, who captained Europe to the Ryder Cup in 2014, wrote afterwards: "Congratulations to Dean and the GB&I team on one of the greatest comebacks in golfing history." Europe's current Ryder Cup captain was watching, and posted: "Incredible finish for Team GB&I, showed such grit and perseverance and that never give up attitude." Pádraig Harrington and Robert MacIntyre added tributes of their own.