2026 Walker Cup: Stuart Grehan’s heroics give GB&I lead heading into final day
Oisin Keniry/R&A
LAHINCH, Ireland — On the back of their local hero, Great Britain and Ireland will take a one-point lead into Sunday at the Walker Cup.
Irishman and reigning British Amateur champion, Stuart Grehan, faced a tough challenge in the lead-off singles match as he took on the World No. 1 amateur, Preston Stout.
“I think as the Amateur champion, I felt it was a fitting position.” said GB&I captain Dean Robertson about putting Grehan out first. “As the Irishman in the team, and given how proud he is to not only represent Great Britain but to be here in front of the Lahinch and Irish fans, it's something he's going to remember forever.”
There is no doubt he’ll remember what happened Saturday at Lahinch.
Ross Parker/R&A
Grehan’s afternoon task got more difficult, quickly, when his opponent birdied four of the opening five holes to lead 3 up. However, the 33-year-old fought back with a birdie charge of his own. After matching Stout’s birdies on the fourth and fifth holes, Grehan then added three of his own in the next five holes to level the opening match.
However, here on the west coast of Ireland, momentum can change quicker than the weather. Stout saw Grehan’s run and raised him one of his own, birdieing the 12, 13 and 15 to lead 2 up with three to play.
It was then that Grehan, with the majority of the 8,000 spectators on site walking alongside him, put together a memorable Walker Cup charge.
A gutsy par save on the short 16th hole was enough to win the hole. That was followed by walking in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to level the match. However, he saved the best for last, when his 20-foot birdie putt dropped erupting the tightly-packed crowd into a roar that might have been heard three hours away where Grehan grew up.
Ramsey Cardy
“That was a loud roar and it's something I wanted to do and experience,” Grehan said. “It was really special.”
Despite next four matches going the way of the U.S. side, the session was ultimately halved 4-4, with the home side maintaining the one-point lead they established in the morning foursomes. They’re up 6½ to 5½.
“I think that's probably the finest golf tournament day of golf I've ever been involved in.” said Robertson. “To be ahead, we're thrilled at that.”
Scotland’s Niall Sheils Donegan overcame his self-admitted “brainfart” from the morning session to win his afternoon singles over World No. 3 Tyler Watts and finish the day as the only player on either side with a perfect 2-0 record.
“I would say two points from a Walker Cup overall would be amazing, but to get two on the first day is a dream,” the 21-year-old said.
Oisin Keniry/R&A
Whilst building a lead is surely the goal of any captain, Dean Robertson is well aware of recent Walker Cup history. Great Britain and Ireland led after the opening day at both the 2023 Walker Cup at the Old Course and 2019 at Royal Liverpool, ultimately losing both events.
With more of the rain and wind we saw earlier in the week due to return to Lahinch on Sunday, Robertson and his team will be hoping their experience in challenging conditions, on links courses, will be enough to win the Walker Cup for the first time in 11 years.