A Sunday morning at Lahinch was a remarkable moment for Team USA. On the final day of the 51st Walker Cup, Miles Russell and the ten-player team, captained by Nathan Smith, bounced back from a one-point overnight deficit over Team GB&I in emphatic fashion. But that’s not what made the day special. It was breaking a 19-year curse, which the USGA shared on X.
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“For the first time since 2007, the USA Team has swept a foursomes session at the @WalkerCup 9.5 – 6.5.” Now, Team USA only needs 3½ points from the 10 afternoon singles to retain the Cup once again.
Team USA’s five consecutive wins underscore its stranglehold on the event. And its experience showed as the amateur event unfolded. The Americans trailed 6½–5½ after Day 1, and Great Britain & Ireland edged the Saturday foursomes 2½–1½ and split the eight singles 4–4.
Stuart Grehan made a late rally over world No. 1 Preston Stout, helping the hosts take the overnight lead. Sunday morning, however, transformed the match. As wind and rain strengthened, the U.S. side produced a clinical 4–0 foursomes sweep. The Americans piled up 21 birdies and an eagle while never trailing a single hole.
That flipped a one-point deficit into a 9½–6½ lead. Notably, no team has ever come back from three points down after three sessions. As the final session unfolds, Team USA stands firmly in control and on the brink of extending its historic run.
The moment was special for 17-year-old Miles Russell, who was among the first four selected for the 2026 team and has played in the Walker Cup. It was his first time competing in the 2026 tournament at Lahinch Golf Club. The amateur star from Jacksonville Beach made his debut as one of the youngest members on the U.S. team. The U.S. team partnered him with Tyler Watts during Saturday’s foursomes.
And the pair defeated Luke Poulter and Sam Easterbrook 1 up. Interestingly, this was the first left-handed foursomes pairing in Walker Cup history. The Sunday foursomes saw this partnership again, and they dominated Tyler Weaver and Connor Graham.
They won 3&2 after taking five of the first seven holes. Not to mention, their victory completed the USA’s clean morning sweep and flipped the overall lead. In the meantime, however, Team GB&I’s performance saw a sharp collapse after early promise, as they never led a single hole on Sunday.
The home side now needs a near-miracle to even have a chance of ending America’s five-match winning streak. They will have to deliver an unparalleled performance to score at least seven points from the final 10 singles. Regardless, since the tournament happens every two years, if GB&I fails to stop Team America, they will have to wait another two years, thus extending their winless streak.
However, it’s worth noting that the event took place in 2025 and 2026 so that the tournament schedule can permanently land on even-numbered years. The USGA (United States Golf Association) and The R&A made a joint decision to change the cadence to avoid scheduling conflicts with other major golf events.
Since the 2021 match had previously been moved to 2023, the next step required a transition from odd to even years. As the 2026 event nears its end, organizers will hold the next tournament in 2028 at Bandon Dunes.