GB and Ireland seize the initiative against USA on opening day of Walker Cup

The USA drew first blood in the morning foursomes but the hosts rallied to build a 3-1 advantage into the afternoon singles, where Stuart Wilson’s team had the better of preceedings again as they added another 4.5 points to earn a 7.5-4.5 lead.

The visitors came into the biennial contest for the top male amateur golfers as favourites to clam a fourth consecutive victory and they got the first points on the board when Gordon Sargent and Dylan Menante beat Mark Power and Barclay Brown 3&2.

However, Scottish duo Calum Scott and Connor Graham levelled things up with an identical victory over Caleb Surratt and Ben James, before John Gough and Matthew McClean put the home team ahead with victory on the 18th, taking advantage after Preston Summerhays missed his birdie opportunity.

Alex Maguire and James Ashfield also won on the final hole to give GB and Ireland a healthy advantage heading into the afternoon on the Old Course.

The USA, as in the morning, claimed the first point in the singles when Surratt beat Brown 4&3 but Scott’s birdie-birdie finish at the 16th and 17th helped clinch him a 2&1 win over Nick Gabrelcik and pick up his second point of the day.

Sargent also made it two points from two with a final-hole win over Jack Bigham but the hosts ended the day on top with Liam Nolan earning a dramatic last-hole win despite a late surge from opponent Austin Greaser,

Power also won on the 18th having been three down after 11 against David Ford while there were big wins for American Stewart Hagestad and Gough before the match between McClean and Summerhays was halved – the only one of the day.

After his match, McClean said on Sky Sports: “We both played great today and Preston came back at the end there really good. It probably deserved a half.

“It was a pretty good match, we were both making birdies, keeping it all-square the whole way.”

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