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· collected 2026-09-06 · by The Associated Press
Great Britain & Ireland, led by Connor Graham and Josh Hill, staged a remarkable comeback on Sunday at Lahinch to win back the Walker Cup from the Americans, with Hill's long bunker shot to birdie put on the final hole securing the victory. GB&I trailed by three points after morning foursomes but quickly turned things around in singles play, winning four of the first five matches and ultimately capturing 13 1/2-12 1/2. The win marks Great Britain & Ireland's first Walker Cup title since 2015.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) team, led by Josh Hill and Connor Graham, pulled off a stunning comeback to win the Walker Cup from the Americans at Lahinch in Ireland. The GB&I team was down by three points going into the singles matches, but they quickly turned things around by winning the first four singles matches. Hill and Graham both contributed crucial wins on the 18th hole in their respective matches to secure the comeback victory for GB&I. This marks the team's first Walker Cup win since 2015. The American team, featuring seven of the top 10 players in the world amateur ranking, was heavily favored but ultimately fell short.
Written for “GB&I Wins Walker Cup” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 6245 · logged 2026-09-07
Connor Graham and Josh Hill each won the 18th hole in the final two matches Sunday at Lahinch as Great Britain & Ireland capped off a stunning comeback against the Americans to win the Walker Cup for the first time since 2015.
asserted
Britain → win → 2015
Graham birdied the last two holes to earn a precious halve against 17-year-old Miles Russell.
asserted
Graham → birdie → Russell
It came down to Hill, all square in his match with 18-year-old Tyler Watts, his Tennessee teammate.
asserted
It → come → Watts
Hill hit a long bunker shot to 3 feet and holed the birdie putt for a 13 1/2-12 1/2 victory.
asserted
Hill → hit → victory
“We had that belief we could win, and it’s going to be a great night,” Hill said.
uncertain
Hill → have → belief
The Americans, loaded with seven of the top 10 players in the world amateur ranking, swept the morning foursomes matches in the fierce wind to build a three-point lead going into the 10 singles matches, long a U.S. strength.
asserted
Americans → load → matches
Team USA needed to win only 3 1/2 points in singles to keep the cup.
asserted
USA → need → cup
GB&I, however, quickly turned the tables and put its blue scores on the leaderboard by winning the opening four matches.
asserted
GB&I → turn → matches
Stuart Grehan, the lone Irish player on home soil, took down top-ranked amateur Preston Stout.
asserted
Grehan → take → Stout
Luke Poulter closed out his match on the 17th hole.
asserted
Poulter → close → hole
U.S. Amateur champion Jack Whaley of England demolished William Jennings, 8 and 7, and Tyler Weaver won in 15 holes.
asserted
Weaver → demolish → holes
Key for GB&I, however, was getting three points — two wins and two halves — from the four matches that went to the final hole.
Niall Sheils Donegan, the Scot who grew up in San Francisco, never had the lead in his match but ground out a halve against Kihei Akina when the the BYU freshman missed a 4-foot birdie putt.
asserted
freshman → get → putt
Eliot Baker atoned for a Sunday singles loss to Stewart Hagestad last year at Cypress Point by winning the par-5 18th.
asserted
Baker → atone → par-5
Hagestad tried to hit driver off the deck and wound up in a tough spot that took a good birdie chance away, and Baker got up-and-down for birdie and a full point.
asserted
Baker → try → birdie
The final two matches were on the 18th hole and GB&I had to win the hole in both matches or watch the Americans keep the Walker Cup for a sixth straight time.
asserted
Americans → have → time
Graham, 2 down with two to play against Russell, birdied the last two holes for a halve.
asserted
Graham → play → halve
“I had a look at the leaderboard a couple of times,” Graham said.
asserted
Graham → have → times
“I knew a halve would go a long way.”
asserted
halve → know → way
It all came down to Hill, a senior at Tennessee, all square in his match with 18-year-old Tyler Watts, an incoming freshman for the Volunteers.
asserted
It → come → Volunteers
Watts was in thick rough off the tee and had 130 yards left for his third shot.
asserted
Watts → have → shot
Hill blasted out to just over 3 feet, and when Watts missed his 18-foot birdie putt, Hill quickly rapped it in and the celebration was on.
asserted
celebration → blast → it
“I don’t know how I handled myself on that 3-footer because I was shaking,” Hill said.
asserted
Hill → know → footer
“I’m just glad it went in because this was unbelievable.”
asserted
this → ’m → ?
The Americans still lead the overall series 40-10-1.
asserted
Americans → lead → series
Next up for GB&I is to try to win the Walker Cup away from home for the first time since 2001 at Ocean Forest in Georgia.
asserted
Next → try → Georgia
The 2028 matches will be held at Bandon Dunes in Oregon.
asserted
matches → hold → Oregon
