Stuart Grehan left the 15th hole on Saturday two down with three holes to play against World No. 1 amateur Preston Stout, with the Americans looking like they were about to turn the tide at Lahinch.
But magical things happen at the Walker Cup, and something special started to unfold as Stout and Grehan, a 33-year-old reinstated amateur from Tullamore, stepped on the 16th tee. Grehan birdied the 16th to shave Stout’s lead to one, and then the World No. 1 amateur hit his tee shot well offline on No. 17, leading to a bogey, which left the match all square headed to 18.
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What happened next at Lahinch was something Grehan could never have imagined, even nine years ago when he was in line to make the 2017 Walker Cup team before breaking his arm playing soccer. He turned pro shortly thereafter and spent years grinding on developmental tours. Wanting to spend more time with his family, Grehan gave up his professional dreams and got reinstated as an amateur in 2025. He won the Irish Amateur and played on last year’s Walker Cup team at Cypress Point.
But playing at Lahinch was always his dream — one he secured by winning The Amateur Championship earlier this year — and on Saturday, with Ireland behind him, Grehan created a moment that will long live in Walker Cup lore, especially if GB&I can finish the job on Sunday.
Stout found himself in trouble on the par-5 18th but pulled off a miraculous third shot from a gnarly lie to give himself a 21-foot look at birdie. When that slid by, that left the stage for Grehan to snatch a much-needed point for GB&I and set off a powder keg for the 8,000 spectators in attendance. He stood over the putt and rolled it right into the center of the cup. Grehan punctuated his victory with a fist pump and soon, he and his 2-year-old son, Kai, were mobbed by hundreds of Irish fans.
As Grehan left the green, having given GB&I a massive point, he was serenaded by “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole” chants. When the dust settled on Saturday singles at the Walker Cup, GB&I held a 6.5-5.5 lead, with Grehan’s improbable comeback over Stout and Luke Poulter’s 2- 1 win over Miles Russell proving to be the two big blows delivered by a GB&I side looking to snap the Americans’ five-tournament winning streak.
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While Poulter’s win over Russell was the final tally in GB&I’s column on Saturday, Grehan’s heroics against Stout, the No. 1 amateur who missed a short putt during foursomes that would have won his match, will wind up being the decisive, momentum-shifting moment should they finish the job. It was a match in which Grehan was 2 down with three to play, one in which the two players combined to make 15 birdies and shoot a best-ball 60. But even as Stout pulled ahead, Grehan never wavered.
“I knew I was playing pretty well, and I just stayed really patient, I don’t know,” Grehan said, via the Irish Independent. “There was just a calmness over me, I guess.”
After Grehan knocked off Stout, the Americans put up four straight flags, with Ethan Fang, William Jennings, Jay Leng Jr. and Stewart Hagestad winning their matches. But GB&I closed with a flurry.
First, Niall Sheils Donegan, who was involved in some early-scoop drama during foursomes, closed out Tyler Watts 3&2. Then, Eliot Baker knocked off Josiah Gilbert by the same score.
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That left the stage to Poulter, who never trailed against the 17-year-old Russell. The Florida Gator arrived at the par-4 17th 1 up, and when Russell lost his approach shot into the deep heather, it was all but over. Russell took an unplayable and played his fourth to 10 feet. But he missed the bogey putt and immediately took off his hat, giving Poulter the win and GB&I the lead heading into Sunday.
“I think that’s probably the finest golf tournament, day of golf I’ve ever been involved in,” GB&I captain Dean Robertson said after his team took a one-point lead after Saturday’s matches. “I think the Walker Cup has just been an amazing showcase of what the game is all about in its purest form. To be ahead, we’re thrilled.
“But we’re under no illusions.”
Things will be different on Sunday.
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The conditions were relatively calm on Saturday, but the forecast calls for gusts of up to 40 mph and potentially some bouts of rain. If GB&I wants to pull off the upset, grit will be the motto on Sunday.
“Playing in that kind of weather requires grit and you need to be able to adapt and just keep the ball moving in front of you,” Robertson said. “A lot of the time it can become a bit damage limitation. Irrespective, it’s going to be exciting, because there will be a lot of people here, and it’s match play, so it’s man against man and it’s the low score each hole. So, we have a plan, and we’ll be prepared.”
Grit was something Grehan showed as he stared down Stout and crafted a memory that he’ll carry with him for the rest of his life.
“It’s something I’ll always remember for the rest of my life,” Grehan said, via Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine.
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On Sunday, with the wind whipping at Lahinch, Stuart Grehan can make the memory even more special by ensuring that his Saturday heroics aren’t in vain.
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