GB&I closes gap on US heading to final session in Walker Cup

JUNO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Mark Power won his third straight match as Great Britain & Ireland closed the gap to within a half-point going into the decisive singles matches Sunday in the Walker Cup.

At stake for GB&I at Seminole Golf Club is a chance to win away from home for the first time in 20 years.

Power teamed with John Murphy in foursomes for the second straight day, and they won the wind-blown 18th hole with a par for a 1-up victory over John Pak and Pierceson Coody.

GB&I won its other match behind Matty Lamb and Jack Dyer, who had the shortest match of the competition with a 6-and-5 victory over Stewart Hagestad and U.S. Amateur champion Tyler Strafaci.

It was the first match this week for Strafaci, who sat out Saturday while recovering from a stomach virus that affected both teams and their captains this week. British Amateur Joe Long is the only player not to have been in a match because of the virus. He was scheduled to play Sunday afternoon.

The final session featured eight singles matches.

Ricky Castillo, also 3-0 for the team, paired with William Mouw for a 1-up victory over Alex Fitzpatrick and Barclay Brown, and it looked as though the Americans would split the foursomes and retain a two-point lead going into the final session.

Cole Hammer and Davis Thompson had a 2-up lead with two holes to play. Angus Flanagan and Ben Schmidt won the par-3 17th with a par, and the Americans took double bogey on the final hole, halving the match.

Hammer's tee shot stopped just short of a bunker, and Thompson's approach caught the lip of the bunker and stayed in the native area on a patch of grass. GB&I pitched its third shot to 12 feet and missed the par putt. Hammer needed a 6-foot bogey putt to win the match but missed.