Walker Cup 2026: Day 1 singles highlights and interviews
The best moments and shots from Saturday's afternoon session at Lahinch, where the 51st Walker Cup is being contested.
Video Transcript
So hello again from a, a very pleasant and a rather placid Lahinch in County Clare in the southwest of Ireland.
It is day one of the 31st Walker Cup.
Third time it's been played in Ireland, and what a morning we have, and we hope that the afternoon is going to, to match it in terms of the singles.
Because this morning the foursomes, we had three matches going to the, the final green.
As mentioned, Stuart Graham.
I've seen Stuart Graham and Preston Stout leading us off.
Then we'll have Jack Whaley against, Ethan Fang in that, second match.
Whaley the winner of the US Amateur recently.
Important to hit this green.
You don't wanna be- Oh.
Oh, he's done better.
What a shot.
Top of the hill there from Stuart Graham, Marina.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Big, big putt needed as well from Ryan from the Americans to keep it up.
William Jennings, who's also in close.
Not a lot of movement.
Yeah.
This will be needed.
Much needed for the GD&I team coming out of the blocks really.
Come on.
Yeah.
He's clearly in the ascendancy psychologically as well, Preston Stout.
Yeah.
Just what America needed.
And it will give energy- Card for 2028 season, which would be pretty cool to see.
Certainly would.
Preston Stout now going to use the amateur to be, at the moment, top of the rankings, and certainly on top against Graham.
A little edge here.
There's a- The Poulter peacock walk there's a, there's a few of them.
There's a few of them.
They know it as well.
Like, they carry themselves so well out on the golf course, and they're all so confident, you know, and they're so young, which is, which is so interesting.
And short of the green, his third shot.
William Jennings is in the swale, has about a 20-footer for birdie, and that was excellent touch.
Whaley won the Western, runner-up at the US Am.
Graham with the birdie at the second to take the early one-up lead.
And that's huge.
Well done.
It should fall.
Might just fall off the back, but should be no trouble there.
Yeah, it's gonna be better than a draw down there.
That's a good collection area.
That's good.
Well played.
Fairway at three.
Connor Graham's turn.
This is the guy, when I asked Poulter the question earlier about who is the- Oh.
Yeah.
Well, that was a- Fan.
Yeah.
Stuart, you're at five.
150, probably only a nine iron.
Maybe even a wedge.
He's a big hitter.
Yeah.
Oh.
Nice, Stuart.
There's a bit of energy in the crowd.
Stout here at five for birdie.
Think of the names, John Harris, Mitch Voogd, just to refer to a few from back in that day.
Let's go to the first.
Myles Russell, his second.
This guy's a long way from amid out.
He's, he's barely in.
He, he's still classified- You see the face white out there in the backswing.
It's a long time out, and then to step up into this environment.
How about this creativity from Jack Whaley at four?
Get in.
Yeah.
This is a beautiful touch from just over the green.
GD&I, they're on the green.
Graham's gonna have an eagle putt in the neighborhood.
Hagestad, long one for birdie.
And to win the hole, and it comes up just short.
And I, I think more than anything, is to be prepared for- Oh.
Fang and his opponent.
Both captains have played every player today, so the ones who were rested this morning playing this afternoon.
Good to see that, too.
I agree with that.
Fang at six.
Oh.
Yeah, it's usually a good sign they have confidence in their roster from top to bottom that- Seen that a lot more now.
Es- and, and Jennings as well.
And his opponent, Connor Graham.
Yeah.
Nice to pull it back and then holes the putt.
What's going on with this putter?
I want some of that.
Absolutely.
That's brilliant from him.
Jennings has holed some big putts as well too in this game, so the fans have been treated to a lot of footage.
Previous hole, taking a six on that short par five.
Can he repair the damage here with a good iron shot?
His par opponent has left the door open.
Oh.
Yeah, good shot.
Well played.
Okay, let's see what, Weaver can do to rectify a mistake from the previous hole.
Get in.
Yeah.
Good play.
Well done, Tyler Weaver.
Great bounce.
A lot of respect the other players have for him.
He's got a quiet authority about him.
Graham to win.
Yeah.
And he made it right away with a admonishment.
What a comeback this has been, because you could easily have withered after that.
Stones that he weighed.
I, I don't know the conversion, but, you know, there's a trend now.
You have Christo Lamprecht that played at, Georgia Tech, Gordon Sarge and Tommy Morrison, all very, very tall golfers.
So we're used to that.
Seen that a lot more now.
Es- and, and Jennings as well.
And his opponent, Connor Graham- It's two to buy from him holds the putt.
Watson on the first putt, but I want some of that.
Get up.
Oh.
Beauty.
What a shot from Whaley.
J Lin Jr.
This wonderful par four sixth hole.
That was okay.
That was all right.
Oh.
Oh.
You're seeing what these players can do, and their, their greens are, are yielding.
The sixth hole.
That's a great shot.
Wow.
There's a great shot.
Yeah, we're not wrong.
Needed to be a great shot.
A little bit untidy here.
A chance to see how receptive this green is, even though it coming downwind.
Gotta bring this in just right of the hole.
I love the body language on that one after the hit.
You don't know the end result when you watch the swing and follow through.
We learned that at- Whaley for birdie to win the ninth.
How about the bounce back of Jack Whaley?
He's got a 15, 18 footer here down the slope.
To the ninth, Connor, Graham, Jennings has already gone and missed the green.
I suspect Graham's just gonna keep the pressure on here.
A lot of work with the hands there on, on that shot.
Might have affected Ethan Feng, but he's got this for birdie to win, to tie the match.
On the green, force your opponent to look at it.
Very tidy swing.
Stay.
Stay.
Stay.
Yeah.
These.
Oh.
Tried to kill it into the slope.
He hit it a little too hard.
Playing this one up from left to right for his par three.
That saves Ethan Feng.
Wow, that is a- Green at eight, Hagestad, this for birdie, match tied.
Three under after seven holes against the card, so good golf from Poulter.
Oh, it's just got better.
Off the flag.
That's excellent.
One shot now for, Poulter.
Yeah.
Absolutely brilliant shot.
Oh, wonderful.
Beautiful roll from Preston Stirk, right in the middle.
Big moment there.
Oh.
How can you?
How can it stay short from above the hole there?
Yes.
20.
Seems fond of this one.
Oh, my God.
Oh, what a shot from Preston Stirk.
Shot of the day from the world number one.
We'll go to Stuart Hagestad on the 11th for the win.
Boom, says somebody in the heavens.
Have to take two.
Oh.
In.
Position A.
Coming out of that marrow grass.
Oh.
Wow.
Great shot.
To win the match.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yes.
Whoa.
Almost went.
What a shot by Len.
17, Jennings to win the hole and go one up in the match.
Oh, great shot.
All of a sudden we'll be talking about the Superchamp, and all of a sudden it's America that's reacting.
We've seen Len- Oh.
And that was a great effort And there is Josiah Gilbert at 13.
His third, and there it is, the first birdie of the day for the man who plays collegiately at- And that's gone undefeated.
That's Francis Ouimet, who was a perfect 8 and 0 for the Americans.
Let's take it a deep, Berko.
So is that- Like that.
Pakistan.
What a putt by Poulter.
Fantastic and timely for JV and I.
Only a room right of it.
Great shot.
Approving cries.
Yeah, lovely shot from Russell.
Yeah, he's had it.
Yeah.
Okay, Baker.
Do your thing here.
Well played.
Very well played.
May well be good enough.
And slowly let it whittle away.
Oh, they're still looking.
Oh, wow.
That wasn't the ball.
So three minutes is a, is, is a very short time now.
It's a big difference when they've gone from five to three, and it only started when Miles got to his ball.
Yes, you don't take into account the time for trying to identify the last one.
I, I mean, it's Yeah, three minutes, the change from five down to three, that's a short period of time, but this is There we are.
Good one for the man from Devon.
Really built on the front nine.
I mean, it was five up after 10.
Hey, watch this, guys.
He's getting a drop because a spectator stood on it.
Ah.
I mean, that was the only way it was gonna be found, by standing on it.
Wow.
Wow, wow, wow.
That is a good break.
That is unbelievable.
I thought it was just- You don't get line of sight.
No.
Yeah, and you don't get two club lengths.
It's gotta be the nearest, nearest, near that point.
So the referee did say two club lengths, and he did say you can go back as far as you want in line, so that indicates that it's a penalty drop.
And he also pointed back to the tee as well, so that is clearly Yeah, we're going for an unplayable.
He's taking line of sight, and he's gonna drop on the, the grass path.
At least that's what he's gonna try and do here.
Well, obviously that Great shot.
Great shot, wasn't it?
That was a lovely shot.
A bit of a shoot forward, and it's first bounce.
Really remarkable.
That's it.
First points for Lee Poulter.
In singles matches, it's four wins apiece.
