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The Walker Cup maybe less than a day old, but we were treated to some drama during the morning foursomes session on Saturday.
As the front nine concluded, the first two games were all-square, while USA led GB&I in the third and GB&I dominated the USA in the fourth match.
In fact, through eight holes, GB&I’s Niall Sheils Donegan and Josh Hill were 4-up on USA’s Josiah Gilbert and Ryder Cowan, before drama struck on the par 4 ninth.
After Gilbert and Cowan made par, Sheils Donegan had a putt to win the hole and move Team GB&I to 5-up.
Striking his putt, the Scotsman missed on the left-side and, with it rolling a foot by, he proceeded to scoop it back with the putter as the hole was halved in four.
However, in the 21-year-old’s eagerness to pick the ball up, his putt wasn’t officially given by the American team, with a conversation ensuing on the ninth green.
Eventually, after all four players spoke to a Rules Official, it was determined that the putt hadn’t been conceded by the Americans, meaning GB&I were given a one stroke penalty, with their score going from a four to a five.
It’s not the first time we have seen this incident occur in team competition.
At the Solheim Cup in 2015, Alison Lee picked up her ball at the 17th after she felt it was conceded, only for it to turn out that Suzann Pettersen hadn’t given the putt.
Following the ruckus on the green, the hole went to the Europeans, who then claimed the 18th to win 2-up.
After the incident, Pettersen defended her actions in the press conference, stating: “We are all trying to win, to play golf. I totally respect the Americans and we totally respect the game.
“At that point of time at the match, and the putt she left, I thought I would still like to see it. If she had that putt to win the cup, I would still like to see it.”