It’s rare these days that we get a team match play event without some controversy. It only took nine holes at the 2026 Walker Cup before we got our first dose at Lahinch.
With the Great Britain and Ireland team already four up, Niall Sheils Donegan had an eight foot putt to extend the lead to five holes. Having made birdie putts on both of the previous two holes, it seemed inevitable the Scot would make another. Instead, controversy.
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Donegan’s putt narrowly missed and rolled about 18 inches past the hole. Frustrated at the miss, the 21-year-old quickly rolled the ball back, presumably to try the putt again.
However, there was one thing missing. The U.S. team of Ryder Cowan and Josiah Gilbert hadn’t conceded the putt by the time Donegan scooped the ball.
Regardless of whether or not the Americans would have conceded the putt, a player cannot pick up a ball until the opposition side verbally gives the putt or makes a clear gesture to lift the ball.
Rule 3.2b says “a player may concede an opponent’s next stroke at any time before that stroke is made”. Furthermore, a concession “must be clearly communicated, either verbally or through an unmistakable action/gesture.”
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Oisin Keniry/R&A
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Cowan immediately raised the point with the GB&I team. After a short discussion, a rules official was called and swiftly ruled in favour of the Americans. Instead of holing the putt to go five-up, Donegan and Josh Hill instead head to the back nine up by three.
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