The problem with history is that it has a habit of repeating itself. Great Britain & Ireland’s club professionals are chasing their own little bit of history here in California as they look for a first ever win on American soil in the PGA Cup. The visitors had started the first day as bright as that big fiery orb in the sky that blazed down on CordeValle and won the morning series of fourballs 3-1. That early thrust was GB&I’s best opening session in the biennial battle with the US since they also claimed a 3-1 advantage in the 1994 match in Florida. What happened in the afternoon of that tussle 21 years ago was that the resurgent USA roared back and whitewashed the second session 4-0. Fast forward to 2015 and that looked like happening here. What did we say about history again? The scoreboard turned as red as some of the faces of the sun frazzled Scottish golf writers as the rampant Americans took charge of every foursomes encounter and mounted a purposeful comeback. A battling half point in the last match left on the course prevented the dreaded clean sweep but a 3 ½ – ½ scoreline in the afternoon saw the USA turn a two point deficit at lunch into a 4 ½ - 3 ½ overall lead going into the second day tussles.
“They obviously used lunch better than we used lunch,” said the GB&I team captain, Jon Bevan. What transpired in the afternoon was as tough to swallow as a mug of cod liver oil for Bevan but there’s still plenty of golf to be played over the weekend. The heat is on, though, and with the temperature on the west coast of America rising every day, the GB&I team are in for a tough old time of it on a demanding, energy sapping course.
“Every half point is important,” added Bevan, a two-time PGA Cup player. “A half point is enough to win the cup. Am I happy after day one? I’m just ready for them to go again tomorrow.”
That half point was gained by Tartan Tour player Gareth Wright and his partner Jason Levermore. It looked like the GB&I duo, who had been two down with five to play but restored parity on the 17th, might just plunder the full point until Ben Polland trundled in a 15-footer for par on the 18th green to keep the match all-square and prompt much hooting and hollering in Camp America.
It had been quite a turnaround in fortunes. Having trudged in 3-1 down at lunch time, the US swiftly set about sticking a star spangled spanner into the GB&I works in the afternoon. Bob Sowards and Jamie Broce were a sizzling seven-under for the 11 holes it took them to demolish Cameron Clark and Lee Clarke by an 8&7 margin while Michael Block and Stuart Deane were five-under in their 4&3 win over David Dixon and Scotsman, Graham Fox.
“The boys sure caught fire,” said a delighted US captain, Allen Wronowski. “After that morning, they were ready to go out and redeem themselves.”
The PGA Cup, Great Britain & Ireland v USA, CordeValle, California, Day One results
Great Britain & Ireland 3 ½ USA 4 ½
Fourballs (GB&I names first)
M Watson & C Clark bt M Dobyns & B Polland 3&2;
Graham Fox & David Dixon bt Jamie Broce & Bob Sowards 2&1;
L Clarke & P Hendriksen lost to O Uresti & S Dougherty 1 hole;
J Levermore & G Wright bt A Morin & G Sturgeon 3&2
GB&I 3 USA 1
Foursomes
Fox & Dixon lost to M Block & S Deane 4&3;
Levermore & Wright halved with Dobyns & Polland;
N Kearney & A Wrigley lost to Uresti & Dougherty 3&1;
C Clark & L Clarke lost to Sowards & Broce 8&7
GB&I ½ USA 3 ½
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