The shocking hero of the 2026 Walker Cup

One of the great things about team match play golf is that when it comes to the final singles session, nobody can hide. That was the case on Sunday at the Walker Cup, when the Great Britain & Ireland team found themselves in a massive hole after an 0-4 sweep in the foursomes session, and had to undertake a desperate campaign in rough conditions to somehow, some way, steal seven of 10 points in the final session with every player in the lineup.

The Ryder Cup is littered with unlikely final-session heroes, and in fact, many of them have been Irishmen—Christy O'Connor Jr. in 1989, Philip Walton in 1995, Paul McGinley in 2002. Unlike the pairs sessions, there are no strategic exclusions, and in a close competition, it often comes down to the late matches, filled with each team's lower-ranked players. In those tense moments when every shot is laden with drama, incredible stories are written.

GB&I captain Dean Robertson did what he was supposed to do, front-loading his lineup with best players, and those players did what they were supposed to do, winning 4.5 points in five matches. That gave them a chance, but in the late afternoon, with wind and rain falling on Lahinch, they needed Josh Hill to take the 18th hole from Tyler Watts.

Who is Hill? He’s the lowest-ranked player on either team, a recent University of Tennessee grad who felt like he underachieved in college, and someone who grew up homeschooled, playing his junior golf in Dubai. It's possible that we won't hear his name again in a competitive golf context, but what happened on that 18th hole is now the stuff of legends. Digest’s Jamie Kennedy has the tremendous story of the end of the comeback, and I highly recommend you check it out below.

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Josh Hill is the unlikeliest hero

The lowest ranked player on either side finished the week by holing the putt that clinched the biggest comeback in the history of the Walker Cup, with GB&I coming from three points behind to win.

By Jamie Kennedy

What You Need to Know

Jay Coffin

Ian Poulter was a Ryder Cup stalwart for Europe but he never played in a Walker Cup. His son Luke was in Ireland playing for the GB&I Walker Cup team and collected a 2-2 record. He topped Ethan Fang, 3 and 1, in the second singles match Sunday to help give his squad hope for a comeback after starting the session three points behind. Ultimately it came down to the final match on the course and GB&I complete its biggest comeback in the history of the Walker Cup. Ian, of course, was front and center with his son to help celebrate the moment.

Jay Coffin

Here are the respective records for each squad this week at the Walker Cup. Great Britain & Ireland came from three points behind with 10 singles matches remaining to win 13½ to 12½ at Lahinch in Ireland. Josh Hill had the honors of making the last putt that mattered, sending everyone into the area into an all-night celebration. Here are final records for each member of both the U.S. and winning GB&I teams.

GB&I: Stuart Grehan (2-1-1), Eliot Baker (2-1-1), Niall Sheils Donegan (2-1-1), Luke Poulter (2-2), Tyler Weaver (2-2), Josh Hill (2-1), Jack Whaley (1-1), Connor Graham (1-2-1), Sam Easterbrook (0-3), Ben Bolton (0-2).

U.S.: Ethan Fang (2-1-1), Miles Russell (2-1-1), Tyler Watts (2-2), Ryder Cowan (2-1), William Jennings (2-1), Jay Leng Jr. (2-2), Preston Stout (1-2-1), Kihei Akina (1-1-1), Stewart Hagestad (1-1), Josiah Gilbert (1-2).

Stephen Hennessey

One of the most exciting new course developments of the past year is now ready for its unveiling. Candyroot Lodge, a brand-new golf retreat that will sit on over 1,200 acres about an hour from Charlotte and Columbia, S.C., will open its first course for preview play next month. Day pass reservations for preview play are available starting Tuesday, Sept. 8, ahead of the soft course opening on Oct. 28. Email subscribers who sign up on Candyroot’s website to “stay in the know” will receive a link to buy day asses early (at 8 a.m. ET and everyone else will receive access at noon). The passes will allow all-day play access if selected. The new course is Mike Koprowski's first solo design and will be part of a multi-course, elevated experience that will also include a short course designed by Koprowski and LPGA Tour legend Michelle Wie West.

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