Welsh golfer David Boote provided the best moment for the Great Britain & Ireland team as he beat the US Amateur champion in the Sunday singles in a Walker Cup hammering at the Los Angeles Country Club.
The visitors were beaten 19-7 in a match that was tied at 2-2 after Saturday’s morning foursomes. The home side dominated that afternoon’s singles to open an 8-4 lead and then won Sunday’s foursomes 3-1 and the final singles matches 8-2.
Boote battled long and hard in the singles and at least picked up a point on Sunday as he provided the only GB & I victory. On Saturday he went down 2 and 1 to Dough Ghim in the singles, but the following day he beat the reigning US Amateur champion Doc Redman.
Four birdies, including a vital one on the par three 15th that put him two up, allowed Boote to lead almost all the way and finally hold off the home hero. Both players came home with bogey fives on the last two holes as the tension mounted, but it was the Welshman who kept his cool to notch a notable victory.
Boote teamed up with fellow Welshman Jack Davidson in the foursomes, but they were handed two heavy defeats. On Saturday morning they went down 5 and 4 to Maverick McNealy and Ghim and lost 6 and 5 to Will Zalatoris and Cameron Champ on Sunday.
The US regained a trophy they lost at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2015. Home teams have won 11 of the past 13 Walker Cups, with GB’s last win in America in 2001.