Murrieta's Rickie Fowler won two matches today but the U.S. and Great Britain and Ireland are tied at the end of the first day of the Walker Cup. Photo by Robert D. Thomas/SCGA

By Robert D. Thomas
Southern California Golf Association
SCGA members Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark were among the bright lights of the United States team in the first day of competition at the 41st Walker Cup at Royal County Down, but at the end of the day the U.S. and Great Britain and Ireland were tied with 6 points apiece heading into tomorrow's final day of play.

The 18-year-old Fowler, now a freshman at Oklahoma State University and the youngest player on the U.S. team, teamed with University of Florida junior Billy Horschel to knock off Lloyd Saltman of Scotland and Rhys Davies of Wales, 4 & 3, in the opening foursomes match this morning, and the U.S. gained a 2-2 split in what is traditionally a problematic format for the Americans. MORE

Then in the afternoon singles matches, Fowler had three birdies as he took out Saltman, 5 & 4, and when Lovemark hammered Llewellyn Matthews by the same score and U.S. Amateur and Amateur Public Links champion Colt Knost of Dallas birdied the final two holes to turn back Danny Willet, 2 up, the U.S. took a 6-3 lead and appeared to on its way to taking a commanding margin heading into tomorrow's final day.

However, the final three GBI teams rallied to each record 1-up wins and at the end of the first day, the two teams were deadlocked 6-6. Each match is worth one point and halved matches earn one-half point for each side. The U.S. needs six points tomorrow (12 overall) to retain the Cup, while the GBI team needs 6 1/2 points tomorrow (12 1/2 overall) to win the Cup.

Lovemark was more than ready to go in his singles match against Matthews. "It was really hard to watch this morning," said Lovemark after his win, "and I couldn't wait to get started." The match seesawed back and forth, with only one halved hole in the first five, before Lovemark took command, winning the next three holes - two of them with birdies - to grab a lead he would not relinquish.

Jamie Lovemark hammered Llewellyn Mattthews, 5 & 4, in singles play at the first day of the 41st Walker Cup at Royal County Down GC. Photo by Robert D. Thomas/SCGA

"I had a couple of problems with my swing early on," said Lovemark, "but I knew how to fix them and I did. From then on, I played really well." Although he made double-bogey on the ninth hole when he put his approach shot on a hill on the right ("I got so caught up in thinking about the distance that I lost my focus on the shot," he said later), Lovemark also made three birdies in his last eight holes.

The 23-year-old Matthews was struggling while the 19-year-old Lovemark -- now a sophomore at USC and the 2007 NCAA Division I champion -- was sparkling. The Welshman made just one birdie (on the opening hole) and had seven bogies. The end came on the par-3 14th hole when Matthews nearly knocked his tee shot out-of-bounds some 30 yards right of the hole.

After helping the U.S. off to a strong start in the morning, both Fowler and Horschel kept the pressure on in the afternoon, as Horschel edged hometown favorite Rory McIlroy, 1 up, by winning the 18th hole with a par, while Fowler never trailed in routing Saltman, 5 & 4.

"Finding a rhythm was a lot easier this afternoon when you're hitting every shot than it was this morning," said Fowler later. "I didn't hit the ball all that well today but I putted really well and that's the reason I won."

Saltman concurred. "I didn't play the way I wanted," said the Scot later, "and on top of that his putter was hot. There were times when it looked like I might win a hole but he would make a long putt and that was it. Credit to Rickie; he putted well all day."

Horschel relished the match against McIlroy, who lives about an hour from Royal County Down. "He's the hometown favorite, the one everyone wants to see," said Horschel. He and Fowler will play McIlroy and another Irishman, Jonny Caldwell, in the first foursomes match tomorrow and Horschel will go up against McIlroy in the first singles match tomorrow afternoon.

Down 6-3, the GBI squad rallied back. "The Walker Cup is so short," said GBI captain Colin Dagliesh, "that if you get three or four points down after the first day, it's tough to come back."

Early on, Rhys Davies had a surprisingly easy time defeating Dustin Johnson, 5 & 4, but it was the final three matches that put an entirely different spin on the overall complexion of the competition.

All three matches went to the 18th hole and GBI won them all. Nigel Edwards, at age 37, the veteran of the GBI squad, came back after squandering a three-hole lead to defeat Kyle Stanley of Gig Harbor, Wash., 1 up, winning the final hole with a conceded birdie. Then 22-year-old Englishman Jamie Moul birdied the par-5 finishing hole to defeat Chris Kirk of Woodstock, Georgia, and finally, another 22-year-old Englishman, David Horsey, defeated Webb Simpson of Raleigh, N.C. with a par on the 18th hole, despite knocking his tee shot in deep rough and electing to hack back into the fairway.

Horschel and Fowler will again lead off the U.S. foursomes matches tomorrow morning and the singles in the afternoon. "Billy likes to get it and go," said U.S. Captain Buddy Marucci, "and Rickie's the same way - he's kind of this year's Brian Harman [another 18-year-old who played in 2005]. When we came here I wouldn't have expected Rickie to play four times, but the way he and Billy are playing, I can't take them off the course."