United States clinch Walker Cup in emphatic style

ARDMORE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - The United States amateurs won the Walker Cup for a third consecutive time on Sunday, crushing Britain & Ireland by 16- points to 9- at Merion Golf Club.

Leading 8-4 going into the final day of the biennial competition and needing just five more points to retain the trophy, the home team tightened their grip by clinching the morning foursomes 3-1.

Ricky Fowler and Peter Uihlein each won their afternoon singles matches to end the weekend with perfect 4-0 records, Uihlein's 3&1 triumph over Stiggy Hodgson sealing outright victory for the rampant Americans.

Cameron Tringale epitomized the U.S. superiority with an 8&6 drubbing of Luke Goddard, the third-largest winning margin of all time in a Walker Cup singles match.

"It was a great week," Cup debutant Uihlein, 20, told reporters. "It's definitely something I will never forget. We had a great team and we all get along great. We all just meshed well and played well together."

Fowler, also a 20-year-old, was delighted to end his amateur career on a triumphant note.

"The whole reason I waited around (before turning professional) was for this weekend," the Californian said.

AWESOME EXPERIENCE

"The days leading up to it and the practice we had was just an awesome experience, and to go 4-0 and get the Cup back, it can't get any better. It's going to be tough to top this weekend."

U.S. captain Buddy Marucci, who lost to Tiger Woods in the 1995 U.S. amateur championship final, paid tribute to Fowler's inspirational performances for his team.

"I don't know if anybody has played for the U.S. the way Rickie has played in the last two Walker Cups," said Marucci.

Britain & Ireland captain Colin Dalgleish knew his team faced an uphill task on foreign soil after going into the final day with an 8-4 deficit.

"We got off to a great start in the morning in the foursomes and that fell away and the lead became pretty much too much of a mountain to climb," Dalgleish said.

"At one stage this afternoon, the board was looking very good for us and it would have been just possible to maybe take eight points out of this afternoon and even to tie the Walker Cup, but then it kind of ran away from us again."

The United States, who edged Britain & Ireland by a point at Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland two years ago, lead the series 34-7-1.

(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Julian Linden)