Jack McDonald stars as GB&I dominate

• GB&I start strongly at the Walker Cup – taking a 3-1 lead
• Scot Jack McDonald partners Cormac Sharvin in a 5&4 win
• “I’m absolutely delighted,” McDonald told bunkered.co.uk

GB&I came out on top in the opening session of the 2015 Walker Cup with Kilmarnock man Jack McDonald starring alongside Cormac Sharvin as they lead the US 3-1.

The duo, who roomed together at the University of Stirling, were ahead from the first hole as they took down Open Championship Silver Medal winner Jordan Niebrugge and Robby Shelton 5&4.

And the match was sealed in fine style, with Irishman Sharvin matching the USA’s par with a putt that hung on to the edge of the hole before dropping to send a healthy crowd around the 14th green wild.

“We just kept to our guns, took one shot at a time and that paid off today” – Jack McDonald

“I’m absolutely delighted,” McDonald, who isn’t playing in this afternoon’s singles, told bunkered.co.uk. “We just kept to our guns, took one shot at a time and that paid off today.

“It was great out there with Cormac. Me and him are great friends so to be out there this morning representing GB&I with him was just amazing and we both really enjoyed it.

“The adrenaline really kicked in when I was out there, so this afternoon I’ll probably just wind down before going out to watch the guys later on.”

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McDonald and Sharvin’s win came moments after English pair Ashley Chesters and Jimmy Mullen had set the tone by winning the first match 3&2.

“I always felt we were in control” – Jimmy Mullen

“It feels great,” Mullen told bunkered.co.uk. “The important thing was that we were never down in the game. I always felt we were in control and when Ashley made par on 15 to put us 3UP, that was vital because otherwise the momentum would’ve been with them.

“I played nicely – a couple of loose shots here and there which was probably down to it being the first game – and I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”

Elsewhere, Beau Hossler and Denny McCarthy secured USA’s first and only point of the morning, defeating Paul Dunne and Gary Hurley 3&1, but in the final match, it was better news for another Irish duo as Jack Hume and Gavin Moynihan beat Lee McCoy and Mike McCoy 3&2.

Saturday foursomes:

Chesters/Mullen 3&2 beat McNealy/Stewart;
Dunne/Hurley 3&1 lost to Hossler/McCarthy;
Sharvin/McDonald 5&4 beat Niebrugge/Shelton;
Hume/Moynihan 3&2 beat McCoy/McCoy.

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