HOYLAKE, England – For the first time in 12 years, the Americans are Walker Cup champions on foreign soil.
Vanderbilt senior John Augenstein earned the clinching point Sunday afternoon at Royal Liverpool with a 4-and-3 victory over Tom Plumb as the U.S. took eight of the 10 matches in the final singles session, erasing a one-point deficit after three sessions and turning it into a decisive 15.5-10.5 victory.
Great Britain and Ireland, which had won two straight home Walker Cups after the Americans captured the Cup in 2007 at Royal County Down, earned just 3 ½ points on the final day.
Florida State junior John Pak was thee only player to go undefeated as he went 3-0, his final point coming in a 2-and-1 win over Euan Walker. That was the first of many points for the Americans in Sunday singles. World No. 1 Cole Hammer also got on the board after an 0-2 start to the weekend, hammering Conor Purcell, 6 and 5.
The U.S. victory pushed the all-time series to 37-9-1. This was also the first time the Americans had trailed after Day 1 and come back to win since 1963 at Turnberry.