Niall Sheils Donegan admitted the mistake was completely on him.
After missing a 6-footer on the ninth hole Saturday during the morning foursomes session at the 51st Walker Cup, the Scot on the GB&I squad scooped up the putt that was a little longer than a foot. The problem was his American opponents had not conceded it, already 4 down in the match and looking for any opening they could find.
Ryder Cowan quickly spoke up, and GB&I's Josh Hill froze behind Donegan, knowing his teammate made a crucial error. The putt would've likely been conceded eventually, but it hadn't yet, and after consulting the rules officials, the USA won the critical hole to shrink its deficit at the turn.
“I hit the 6-footer and missed it like an idiot," Donegan told Golf
Channel after his match. "I had a foot back, and I just dragged it away like I’m in a Sunday bounce game, but those aren’t the rules of golf. And you screw up, but it’s not about how you screw up, it’s about how you bounce back and we bounced back amazingly.”
Some drama here at The Walker Cup
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Niall Sheils Donegan scoops up his missed putt quickly before it was given to him. Ryder Cowan from the USA Team has to call in an official.
The hole was given to the U.S. 👀 pic.twitter.com/SsLeXZLUg3
Ultimately, there was no harm, no foul as it was the only hole Donegan and Hill lost Saturday morning, putting the first point on the board in a 4-and-3 victory. It was another strong morning for GB&I, winning two matches and halving another for a 2½-1½ advantage heading to Saturday Singles.
The red, white and blue have dominated singles at the Walker Cup, especially recently during its five-match win streak. That's something captain Dean Robertson and the GB&I team have to flip, and it starts Saturday afternoon.
"We were just trying to get some energy going with the rest of the team," Donegan said. "We knew that we were playing well, and we wanted to kind of make that energy move forward through the other three groups that were going."
Donegan faces world No. 2 Tyler Watts in singles.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Niall Sheils Donegan makes rare Walker Cup error, then helps GB&I secure crucial point
