Singles Rally Is Too Late - Golf Clothing Journal

After two days of unremitting gloom for the Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team they finally salvaged some respectability in the 21st contest against a powerful United States team in Florida at the weekend (Sunday 02 March).

Playing the club professionals' version of the Ryder Cup over the South Course at PGA Village, near West Palm Beach, the visitors showed immense spirit in winning six of the 10 singles matches after having failed to take any of the 16 ties in four-man format over the previous two days. The overall result, though, was a home win, by 19 points to seven, equaling the biggest victory margin since 1990 at Turtle Point, Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

In fact, the Americans, who needed 13 points to retain the trophy, in their possession since 1986, did so with a day to spare, winning 14 and tying two of the Friday and Saturday matches. The depressing scoreline after two days' action read USA 15, GB & I 1.

But as the final day developed it took on an encouraging hue for the visiting side, as the scoreboards became predominantly blue, pushing aside the red of America.

The top order of the British and Irish side won the opening three ties. Bill Longmuir was never down in his match with Georgia's Craig Stevens, and closed him out with a flourish on the par-five 16th green, holing a 15-foot eagle putt for a 4 and 2 win.

Paul Wesselingh (Kedleston Park, Derby) followed him home by beating New Yorker Mike Gilmore 2 and 1, although the American, runner-up in the 2002 US club professional championship, was on occasion out-hitting Wesselingh off the tee by up to 30 yards.

The 2001 Glenmuir British Club Professional champion, Simon Edwards from Wrexham, was, like Wesselingh and Longmuir, never down in his match with another Georgian, Tim Weinhart, and won 2 and 1.

Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs Driving Range) was another GB & I winner, always ahead of America's 2001 club professional champion, Wayne DeFrancesco from Baltimore. Highlight of the Scot's round was a super eagle three at the 535-yard seventh, which put him two up. And he closed out the Maryland player 3 and 2 with a birdie 4 at the long 16th.

Other British singles successes came from Andrew Hare (Cold Ashby, Northampton), after a ding-dong battle with Don Berry (who made the cut in the US PGA Championship last year), and Bob Cameron (Sundridge Park, Bromley), who overcame the American side's most experienced member, Bruce Zabriski, by 3 and 2 in the final match.