Rickie Fowler blasted out from the rough on the 13th hole, and when Billy Horschel sank the subsequent 13-foot birdie putt, he and Fowler went 3 up en route to defeating Rory McIlroy and Jonny Caldwell in the first foursomes match this morning at the 41st Walker Cup. Photo by Robert D. Thomas/SCGA

By Robert D. Thomas
Southern California Golf Association
After five holes, the crowds were roaring, the birdies were falling one after another, and the hometown favorites -- Irishmen Rory McIlroy and Jonny Caldwell -- had won four consecutive holes to take a 4-up lead over the U.S. team of Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel in the second day of foursomes play at the 41st Walker Cup matches at Royal County Down Golf Club.

Then, suddenly, just as quickly as it had begun, it was over, as the 18-year-old Fowler -- the Murrieta resident now attending Oklahoma State and the 2006 California State High School champion -- and Horschel, a University of Florida junior -- made one of the most dramatic comebacks in Walker Cup history to stun the Irish duo, 2 & 1, sparking the U.S. to a sweep of the foursomes matches this morning, giving the U.S. a 10-6 lead heading into this afternoon's singles matches.

The U.S. needs to win just 2 of the 8 singles points to retain the cup and 2 1/2 points to win the cup outright. Great Britain and Ireland needs to win 6 1/2 points to win back the cup.

In other foursomes matches this morning, USC rising sophomore Jamie Lovemark of Rancho Santa Fe teamed with University of Georgia grad Chris Kirk to hold off England's David Horsey and John Parry, 1 up; U.S. Amateur and Public Links champion Colt Knost of Dallas and Dustin Johnson of Myrtle Beach, SC, defeated the Welsh team of Rhys Davies and Nigel Edwards, 1 up; and three-time Walker Cupper Trip Kuehne of Dallas and Jonathan Moore of Vancouver, Wash., knocked off England's Jamie Moul and Daniel Willettm 4 & 2.

However, the focus was clearly on the first match where 90 percent of the thousands of people who came out for the early matches were jammed 10- and 20-deep around the greens rooting passionately for the two Irishmen to hold off the U.S. team that has been something of a Cinderella story at Royal County Down.

McIlroy and Caldwell didn't disappoint early on. After the first hole was halved with par 5s, the Irish pair rattled off three straight birdies. "We didn't do anything badly," said Fowler after the match was over. "They just made some birdies, but we knew we had some birdies in us, too. We tried not to make any mistakes and capitalize when we got a chance."

SCGA member Jamie Lovemark teamed with Christ Kirk to win a foursomes match this morning at the 41st Walker Cup. Photo by Robert D. Thomas/SCGA

After winning the sixth hole with a par 4, Fowler drained a 20-footer for a birdie 2 on the seventh hole. "That was when the mood of the crowd shifted," said Horschel later. "They were still rooting against us because Rory and Jon are homeboys, but the crowd that got into it was the group following us: my family, Rickie's family and everyone else who came over to support us. That was the crowd shift."

Beginning with the sixth hole, Fowler and Horschel won four consecutive holes and seven of the next eight holes to take a 3-up lead. GBI cut the lead by a hole when McIlroy sank a 30-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole, but Fowler brought an end to the match when he nailed an eight-iron from 162 yards out to within four feet of the flagstick on the 435-yard 17th hole and Horschel sank the birdie putt.

"My guys showed a lot of heart out there," said U.S. Captain George "Buddy" Marucci, who played on the 1997 U.S. Walker Cup team at Quaker Ridge GC the last time that the U.S. swept a foursomes session. "Billy and Rickie led the way; they got down and they got back. The others saw it and it was a great inspiration. We talked a lot about how important that first point is. They never gave up; it was just wonderful to watch."

Lovemark and Kirk also rallied from an early deficit, 2 down after three holes. However, the American pair won the next three holes and five of the next six to take a 2-up lead that they extended when Kirk sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the 527-yard 12th hole. GBI fought back, as Horsey sank a 30-foot putt for a birdie 2 on the 14th hole and then rolled in a 20-foot putt for birdie 4 on the 17th hole.

However, on the par-5 finishing hole, Parry's second shot hooked badly into thick rough on the left, while Lovemark's 4-iron second shot stopped inches off the green. Horsey blasted out from the thick rough but his shot rolled off the green, and when Parry's pitch failed to drop, GBI conceded the match.

"It [foursomes] was more fun that I thought it would be," said Lovemark after the match (the USC sophomore and 2007 NCAA Division I champion had been held out of foursomes play yesterday). "Yesterday, it was frustrating watching the other guys play. Today we got down early but battled back hard to go 3 up and held on to win. I played pretty good although my lag putting wasn't very sharp. I need to work on that before this afternoon."

Knost and Johnson also had a see-saw match before taking a 1-up lead with a birdie 2 on the 14th hole, which held when both teams parred the last four holes.

Moore and Kuehne -- perhaps the most controversial picks of the U.S. team because of their lackluster play this summer -- played some of the strongest golf of the day and never trailed in defeating Moul and Willett. The Americans birdied the par-5 first hole, went 3-up with a birdie 3 on the eighth hole and made five birdies in 16 holes with just a single bogey.

As they have done all four segments, Horschel and Fowler are in the first matches this afternoon. Horschel is matched against McIlroy, while Fowler draws Davies. Lovemark will play Moul in the next-to-last match of the day.