If past Ryder Cup captains have seen Graeme McDowell as their terrier-like player at the bottom of the order, then Gavin Moynihan is emerging as another of that ilk. Rock solid!
In this Walker Cup match on the Lancashire coast, the 20-year-old Dubliner was handed the role of anchor in both Saturday foursomes and singles and delivered on the double as Britain and Ireland took a 7-5 lead over the United States after an enthralling first day of play.
With memories of a singles collapse from two years ago sufficiently fresh in Moynihan’s mind that he asked B&I captain Nigel Edwards if he could go out in the last singles match, relishing the pressure of holding that anchorman position, it was therefore all the more impressive that he came up trumps with two wins from two.
Having partnered Jack Hume to a morning foursomes win, Moynihan followed up with a wonderful ball-striking round in the singles - recovering from an opening bogey where he took two attempts to escape a greenside bunker - to be three-under through 16 holes in beating Jordan Niebrugge, the silver medallist at the Open, by 4 and 2.
Britain and Ireland had established a 3-1 lead from the morning foursomes but, with the wind swirling and actually changing direction, the singles proved to be a far tighter affair with plenty of nip and tuck before it finished four apiece, to leave the overall score at 7-5 to the home side.
As Moynihan pointed out, there remain 14 points to be won in Sunday’s final day - four foursomes and 10 singles - so it remains all to play for with no room for any complacency from Edwards’ men.
Apart from Moynihan, the other B&I singles winners were Jimmy Mullen (a 2 holes winner over Denny McCarthy) and Scottish teenager Ewan Ferguson (who defeated world number two Maverick McNealy by 1 hole), while Ashley Chesters and Gary Hurley halved their matches. Hurley was three down to Robby Shelton after eight holes but fought back, a birdie on the 16th taking him all square before the final two holes were shared in pars.
What is it about the anchor role at so appeals to Moynihan? “I asked Nigel if I could go out last again, the fact that I played there so well a couple of years ago (on Long Island). I enjoy seeing how the lads ahead are getting on. I’ve played at the top a lot for Ireland and now at the back, either top or bottom is fine for me.”
Moynihan has been retained in the anchor role for Sunday, partnering Hume in the final foursomes against Bryson DeChambeau and Robby Shelton and also facing US Amateur champion DeChambeau in the final singles match.
As if to emphasise the spirit in the Britain and Ireland camp, Scottish teenager Ferguson - originally left out of the team and only called in as a replacement when Sam Horsfield withdrew - upstaged the highly-rated American McNealy.
Edwards admitted he would have taken a 7-5 lead from the first day if offered it beforehand. “Any lead.....I’d have taken 12-0,” he quipped. The home side have a two points advantage going into the final day, requiring six and a half points from the 14 available if they are to get over the line and regain the trophy.
For Sunday's foursomes, Edwards retained the same foursomes pairings - meaning Paul Dunne, disappointed to lose both of his matches on Saturday, and Gary Hurley will continue a partnership that has reaped dividends in the past. Dunne and Hurley have been paired against US mid-amateurs Mike McCoy and Scott Harvey in the foursomes.
Sunday Foursomes line-up
8.30: A Chesters/J Mullen v B Hossler/D McCarthy
8.40: P Dunne/G Hurley v M McCoy/S Harvey
8.50: C Sharvin/J McDonald v H Stewart/L McCoy
9.00: G Moynihan/J Hume v B DeChambeau/R Shelton
Singles
1.15: A Chesters v J Niebrugge
1.25: P Dunne v M McNealy
1.35: J Mullen v D McCarthy
1.45: C Sharvin v M McCoy
1.55: E Ferguson v B Hossler
2.05: G Forrest v S Harvey
2.15: G Hurley v H Stewart
2.25: J McDonald v L McCoy
2.35: J Hume v R Shelton
2.45: G Moynihan v B DeChambeau
