US and GB&I battle to a tie in opening session of Walker Cup

<p>JUNO BEACH, Fla. &mdash; Cole Hammer and Davis Thompson won a foursomes match so wild that only three holes were halved, giving the Americans a tight win in an opening session that ended in a 2-2 tie with Great Britain &amp; Ireland.</p>
<p>All four matches went to the 18th hole at Seminole Golf Club.</p>
<p>Two of the matches included alternates, one on each team, because of a stomach virus that derailed players and captains from both sides in the days leading up to the start.</p>
<p>Eight singles matches were scheduled for Saturday afternoon, and British Amateur champion Joe Long was sitting out for the second time. He was a late scratch in the afternoon.</p>
<p>The USGA and R&amp;A agreed to tweak the rules because of the stomach virus — COVID-19 was ruled out as a cause through testing — allowing teams to use alternates provided it’s for a player too sick to compete.</p>
<p>Hammer and Thompson had a 3-up lead through 13 holes when Alex Fitzpatrick and Barclay Brown of GB&amp;I rallied to win the next three holes, two of them with pars. The Americans regained the lead with a par on the par-3 17th along the ocean, and both teams birdied the 18th to give the U.S. side a point.</p>
<p>The 18th hole was the first time a hole was halved since the opening two holes.</p>
<p>It was like that all morning.</p>
<p>Mark Power and John Murphy of GB&amp;I were 3 down with six holes to play when they won three of the next four holes to square the match, and they took a 1-up lead with a par on the 17th. The American side of Quade Cummins and Austin Eckroat couldn’t make birdie on the 18th that would have halved the matches.</p>
<p>Alternates played a role for both teams in the other two matches.</p>
<p>Mac Meissner, an alternate, joined Ricky Castillo in going from 1 down to 1 up with birdies on the 14th and 15th holes and holding on for a 2-up victory. In the anchor foursomes match, GB&amp;I alternate Jake Bolton joined Angus Flanagan to win the 17th hole with a par in a 1-up victory.</p>
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