Stuart Grehan has opened up about the responsibility he shouldered as GB&I's leader during their remarkable Walker Cup triumph, explaining how a pre-match conversation with captain Dean Robertson set the tone for his pivotal contribution to the team's dramatic victory.
The 51st Walker Cup at Lahinch on 5-6 September 2026 saw GB&I execute the most extraordinary comeback in the competition's history, with the final outcome decided by a single putt. The team entered Sunday's singles session in a precarious position after the USA claimed all four morning foursomes matches, transforming a 6.5-5.5 overnight advantage into a 9.5-6.5 deficit. GB&I faced an enormous task: they needed to win the afternoon singles 7-3 to claim the trophy.
Grehan, the sole Irish representative on the squad and the 2026 Amateur Champion, set the tone by defeating world No. 1 amateur Preston Stout in his singles match. According to Golf Channel, Grehan's comeback was particularly dramatic—he trailed by three holes through three before rallying to secure victory on the 18th. His winning run over the final 15 holes was described as 8 under par, marking his first singles victory of the match.
Josh Hill then completed the turnaround by holing the winning putt on the 18th to seal a 13.5-12.5 victory, sparking wild celebrations. Grehan, having finished his own match, remained on the fairway to witness his team-mate complete the job.
Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast alongside Jamie Weir and Chris Wood, Grehan revealed that his leadership role had been discussed well in advance.
We've spoken about it a little bit, I'd say two months prior to the match. It's something that I wanted to take on. Obviously I'm a little bit older, one, and I probably knew the golf course more than anyone as well, which is another thing. It's a role I wanted this week, to go out and lead being the only Irishman in the event.
He acknowledged that while the team comprised ten leaders in their own right, he felt a particular responsibility to set the standard.
It is a team of 10, but I definitely felt like the responsibility this week that I might be seen as a leader. There's loads of leaders, they're all leaders in their own sense, but yeah, to be able to go out there and hit first… It was an incredible moment for me and everyone that's helped me get to that point.
The comeback had seemed almost impossible after Sunday morning's clean sweep loss. Grehan admitted to feeling emotionally drained heading into the afternoon session.
Sunday morning, I actually felt very flat, to be perfectly honest with you. I was very flat myself. It was probably all the mental energy I kind of expended on Saturday, but I just couldn't get up for it and my game was not very good on Saturday morning.
He and Eliot Baker had struggled in their morning foursomes match, managing only level par in testing conditions—a performance that fell short of the standard required at that level.
It wasn't bad but myself and Eliot, we just couldn't get anything going. I think we were still 300-par and in pretty testy conditions. But at this level, that's just not good enough. So, we lost the session 4-0, clean sweep, I was very flat at halftime.
The turning point came during the half-time interval when several team-mates rallied the group. Tyler Weaver's intervention proved particularly influential.
I know the few other guys were the same. But in fairness to Tyler Weaver, he came in, and I just remember him saying that it'll even make for a better story now. And I was like, OK, he still believes.
Luke Poulter, who had been named in the squad as part of the 10-man team, also contributed to the mood shift, though Grehan could not recall his exact words.
Luke said something as well. I can't remember exactly what it was, but he was very upbeat and in fairness to Dean Robertson, he came in, he said 'look, lads, the margins are so small. You're all still playing really well.' Collectively as a team, we were still pretty good. 'Go out there this afternoon and give it your all'.
Captain Robertson's measured assessment proved crucial in refocusing the team.
Then the music got going at half-time as well. Then we were all kind of up for it already.
Grehan's own singles performance demonstrated the collective momentum that had been built.
I didn't get off to a great start, but the rest of the guys behind me did, and that kind of spurred me on, to be perfectly honest.
The victory ended a significant drought for GB&I, marking their first Walker Cup triumph since 2015. According to Yahoo Sports, the result halted the United States' run of five consecutive Walker Cup victories. Grehan's contribution was particularly meaningful given that he was competing on home soil at Lahinch, having secured his place through his Amateur Championship success earlier in the year.
The squad also featured Connor Graham, who made his third successive Walker Cup appearance at just 19 years old, and included five other returning players from GB&I's 2025 team, providing a blend of experience and fresh talent that proved decisive in the comeback.
What happens next
The biennial Walker Cup cycle will continue with the 52nd staging scheduled for 2028, with the event typically held in September. GB&I will look to build on this historic victory as they prepare for future competitions in the amateur game's most prestigious team event.
