GB&I claws back into PGA Cup with Saturday morning rally

On the verge of being blown out on their home soil. Team GB&I instead sprung to life Saturday with a 3-1 rally over Team USA in the morning four-ball matches at The Carrick.

By Bob Denney, The PGA of America

LOCH LOMOND, Scotland -- Great Britain & Ireland rallied by winning three of four Morning Four-Ball matches Saturday -- pocketing two big wins on the 18th hole -- to trim the United States' lead to 7-5 in the 24th PGA Cup.

The weather on the shores of Loch Lomond turned cold, a wind picked up and a drizzle began. It all appeared that the changing conditions at The Carrick left Great Britain & Ireland in a new comfort zone in the international showcase event for PGA Professionals.

"They are a spirited, strong team, and as evidenced by the matches over the last four years we know how strong and competitive they are," said U.S. Captain Brian Whitcomb, the PGA honorary president from Bend, Ore. "Sure enough, they showed up today to try to even that score. They came partially the way back this morning and it's our job to hold court this afternoon."

The United States needs 13 points to retain the Llandudno International Golf Trophy in an event that it owns a 15-5-3 record. The Americans have yet to win in Scotland, having dropped two matches in 1983 and 1984 and finishing in a 13-13 draw in 1996.

The PGA Cup continues Saturday afternoon with a quartet of foursome matches and 10 singles matches on Sunday.

Whitcomb watched two of his team's pairings fail to close out Great Britain & Ireland, with the team of reigning PGA Professional National Champion Mike Small of Champaign, Ill. and Ryan Benzel of Bothell, Wash., falling 2 and 1 after poor drives on the 17th hole and the twosomes of Kyle Flinton of Edmond, Okla. and Craig Thomas of White Plains, N.Y., and Eric Lippert of Marina, Calif. and Mark Sheftic of Ambler, Pa., each defeated on the 18th green, 1-up.

Lippert drove into the middle of the 18th fairway, put his approach shot into the right-hand greenside bunker and failed to get out of the sand on his first attempt. Sheftic, the PGA assistant professional at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., hit his drive on 18 out of bounds.

"These last few holes are very good holes and they test even the greatest players as they did today," said Whitcomb. "Yesterday it seemed things went our way. Today, it kind of went their way. That's golf, and if it comes down to these finishing holes this afternoon, we intend to prevail."

Small, the men's golf coach at the University of Illinois, has started slow in each of his three matches, dropping the past two. Benzel, who sat out Friday's four-balls, joined Small in mounting a comeback from a two-hole deficit to square their match against England's Paul Wesselingh and Jeremy Robinson.

Wesselingh birdied the par-3 16th hole, then watched as Small hooked his drive on 17 into deep left-hand rough, while Benzel hit his drive into a left-side fairway bunker.

Neither Small or Benzel could reach the green, while Wesselingh and Robinson two-putted for a winning par.

"We were even with two to go and lost 16 and 17, and kind of gave it away," said Small. "We need to do a better job of taking advantage of our opportunities. We need to do a better job as a team of finishing."

The bright light of the U.S. Team in the morning was the pairing of former PGA Professional National Champions Scott Hebert of Traverse City, Mich., and Steve Schneiter of Sandy, Utah. They built a 1-up lead after nine holes over Jon Bevan and Will Barnes, and closed out the match with a par on 13, and consecutive birdies on the 14th and 15 holes for a 4-and-3 decision.

"We just kept the ball in play, so we had two chances at the hole," said Schneiter, the 1995 PGA Professional National Champion. "It was tough, but we kept fighting. We got it going on 13, 14 and 15. We had no intention of dragging the match any further."

Flinton bemoaned his team's lost opportunities.

"Craig and I just gave them too many early holes," said Flinton, the PGA head professional at Quail Creek Golf & Country Club in Edmond, Okla. "Bad tee balls off of 1, then we bounced back with a birdie at 2, then they birdied three; we birdied 4 and 5, and we handed them 6 and 7. When we didn't birdie 11, a par-5, I thought that would be a sticking point. It seemed like Craig was really fighting his golf swing today. I didn't think our match would have come down to those last few holes. Craig and I didn't get it going in the early stretch."

SATURDAY MORNING FOURSOMES

Great Britain & Ireland 3, USA  1

Paul Wesselingh, Derby, England & Jeremy Robinson, Evensham, England def. Ryan Benzel, Bothell, Wash. & Mike Small, Champaign, Ill. (USA), 2 and 1

Paul Simpson, West Berkshire, England & Jamie Harris, Kent, England def. Craig Thomas, White Plains, N.Y. & Kyle Flinton, Edmond, Okla. (USA), 1-up

Andrew Barnett, Denbighshire, Wales & James Lee, South Wales def. Eric Lippert, Marina, Calif. & Mark Sheftic, Ambler, Pa. (USA), 1-up

Steve Schneiter, Sandy, Utah & Scott Hebert, Traverse City, Mich. (USA)  def. Jon Bevan, Weymouth, Dorset, England & Will Barnes, Lancashire, England, 4 and 3

TOTAL: USA 7, Great Britain & Ireland 5