Since so many horrifying adjectives are associated with Ireland and Sundays, I’ve decided to go volcanic to describe what happened this morning at Royal County Down in the Walker Cup matches. The USA did the unthinkable…by sweeping four multi-player matches, the younger side took a commanding 10-6 lead heading into the afternoon singles matches.

This is a team that was picked to lose, and they still might. We remember Crenshaw’s USA side in 1999 in the Ryder Cup. Carrying a monstrous deficit into Sunday’s singles, they stormed the walls (and angered golf fans everywhere with their greenside tap dance) and defeated the citizens at The Country Club outside Boston. The Great Britain and Ireland side will have to win 6.5 of 8 matches this afternoon (USA late morning) to secure the cup. A 12-12 tie leaves the cup in the hands of the defending USA selection.

Perhaps the moment of the Walker Cup occurred on day one, in the morning foursomes. The USA had bolted out of the starting gate to a 1.5-.5 lead. Their third team lost, and the Webb Simpson-Jonathan Moore pairing was two down with two to play. Moore has been doubled-out (by me on multiple occasions) with Tripp Kuehne as unacceptable for this year’s team. Moore had a marvelous, Jones-esque 2006, but has been off the radar screen in 2007. Kuehne, the same, without the marvelous 2006. Back to the present…Simpson-Moore birdied seventeen to close the gap, then sank an inconceivable, 110-feet eagle putt on 18 to halve the match. The afternoon singles were sawed off, with GB&I staging a terrific comeback to win the final three matches on the 18th green.

So what will happen this PM in olde Eyrie? In the early holes, 6 matches are square and 1 lie by 1 hole on either side of the Atlantic. If GB&I get on a role and the crowds start their chanting, it will take all the nerve that the USA has to bring it home. For my bet, the settling point for USA will 2007’s Mr. Amateur, Colt Knost. He’s won 2.5 of 3 points to date, and wears the flag like a second skin. By the time we see them on television this PM, it might be over, but cheer both sides on, for the good of the game.

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