GB & Ireland recover in Walker Cup

LONDON, England -- Great Britain and Ireland staged a late fightback to tie the United States at six points apiece after the first day of the Walker Cup at Royal County Down in Northern Ireland.

The United States looked set for a commanding lead when local hero Rory McIllroy fluffed his lines on his Walker Cup debut and his final appearance as an amateur.

Left with a 25-foot putt to win his first day singles, McIlroy, the 18-year-old who was one of the stars at the Open in July, three-putted and so lost to Billy Horschel.

With Scot Lloyd Saltman, the next best-known player in the Britain and Ireland team, beaten twice things did not look good with three games left on the course and the home team trailing 3-6.

But holders America, all square on the last tee in all of them, lost them all and at 6-6 the contest, decided on the last putt the last two times, is set up perfectly for another thriller.

McIlroy, utterly dejected by his missed three-footer on the last green, headed straight for the locker room, but then said: "I fought hard to get back into it and to not get anything out of the match after that is not good for me or the team.

"I'm obviously very disappointed. To three-putt the last, it's just so stupid."

Satltman, winner of three points out of four in the last match and a spectacular 15th in the Open at St Andrews that summer, was then crushed five and four by Rickie Fowler.

Welshman Rhys Davies hit back to beat Dustin Johnson five and four, but English champion Danny Willett lost the last two holes to American champion Colt Knost after making birdies at the 14th, 15th and 16th to level.

Welshman Llewellyn Matthews had already been hammered five and four by Jamie Lovemark by then, but his fellow countryman Nigel Edwards, who experienced ecstasy and agony in the deciding game in the last two contests, won the last to beat Kyle Stanley.

That left two games and Jamie Moul brought it back to 5-6 when he also took the last with a birdie four to beat Chris Kirk.

David Horsey was all square with the USA's Webb Simpson as they played the last in the final match of the day.

Horsey found a gorse bush off the tee, but Simpson, who had played superbly in the morning foursomes, made a hash of the hole and finished up with a double bogey seven as the teams ended the day all square.

That the teams ended the morning session 2-2 was thanks to an amazing 35-yard eagle putt by Simpson.

The religion student's partner Jonathan Moore had just made a 25-footer to stay alive on the 17th and opponents Moul and Willett, having been three up after 14 and two up with two to play, could simply not believe what followed.

Short of the green in two at the long last Simpson took out his putter and knocked it in, a blow which Willett could not respond to from the left rough. E-mail to a friend