American fightback sets up grand Walker Cup finale

If they are to complete a third successive victory in the Walker Cup, the amateur version of the Ryder Cup, Great Britain and Ireland will again have to overcome a midway deficit here today. Two years ago at Sea Island they trailed by a point, while in 1999 at Nairn it was two points. That they again found themselves 7-5 down after being two ahead in the morning was due to an inspired American fightback in the afternoon singles.

The visitors took the session 6-2 with only Nigel Edwards claiming a win to make it two out of two on the day. Bill Haas did likewise for the Americans as he inflicted two defeats on Gary Wolstenholme. Both men are sons of fathers who played in the match and then became professionals. Haas and Trip Kuehne beat Wolstenholme and Michael Skelton 2 and 1 in the top foursome and then Haas defeated Wolstenholme at the 18th in the top singles match.

Haas is the 21-year-old son of Jay Haas, who was watching here and played in a winning American team in the Walker Cup in 1975. He will also represent the United States against the International team in the President's Cup in South Africa later in the year after being picked as a wild card by captain Jack Nicklaus at the age of 49. Wolstenholme's father Guy also played in the Walker Cup before representing England in what was then the Canada Cup and is now the World Cup. Gary's great claim to fame is being the only player for Great Britain and Ireland who has ever appeared in three winning Walker Cup teams.

This year he returned to Ganton, where he won the Amateur Championship in 1991, with a second Amateur under his belt. The wonderful gorse-lined course is made for Wolstenholme's game, which depends more on accuracy than length. He and the 19-year-old Skelton had Sara Garbutt and Emma Duggleby, two women's internationals from the area who know the course well, as their caddies and led by three holes after eight.

But Haas and Kuehne won four of the next five holes and the key moment came when Wolstenholme missed the fairway at the 16th and Skelton found the deep bunker on the left of the green. They failed to get up and down and fell two behind with two to play. With Kuehne finding the green at the long par-three 17th, Wolstenholme putted up from down the hill in front of the putting surface and saw the ball stop agonisingly on the lip.

It proved the home side's only foursomes defeat as they took the session 3-1 with the Scottish pair of Stuart Wilson and David Inglis winning the last three holes against Lee Williams and George Zahringer. But Haas came from two-down with six to play against Wolstenholme to win at the last with the Englishman's only bogey coming when he again failed to get up and down from the left-hand bunker at the 16th. "We both played well and it was an enjoyable game," said Haas. "I respect Gary for his game. I had heard how he played and he did it really well." Equally, Wolstenholme acknowledged he was at a power disadvantage. "It's impressive to watch," he said. "I'm sure the gallery appreciated the power and expertise he displayed." Kuehne, who is the brother of Hank, one of the longest hitters on America's PGA Tour, and Kelli, who plays in the Solheim Cup next weekend in Sweden, holed from five feet at the last to claim a half with Oliver Wilson, and then a string of American wins went on the board, including Chris Nallen's over Ireland's Colm Moriarty despite being one down with three to play.

Edwards, 35, from Whitchurch, played two years ago but did not contribute a point and he determinedly punched the air after making putt after putt in beating Zahringer 3 and 2 in the same manner as his best man, Phillip Price, when beating Phil Mickelson in the Ryder Cup last year. "It's great holing a putt and why not get excited?" Edwards said. "I wanted to win for myself, my family, my country, GB and I, Garth [McGimpsey, the captain], Peter McEvoy and for Phil Price. Adding points to the team's total is a good feeling but the team's outcome at the end of the day is what matters."