Golfers Chris Williams and Patrick Cantlay earn U.S. a point at Walker Cup

ABERDEEN, Scotland – University of Washington golfer Chris Williams, of Moscow, teamed with Pac-12 rival Patrick Cantlay of UCLA for a 5-and-3 victory Saturday at the 43rd Walker Cup Match at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.

By the end of the day, though, Britain and Ireland had a 7-5 lead after four straight wins in singles matches.

Cantlay teamed with Williams for the Americans’ first point of the day and the USA’s only foursome win, a victory over Steven Brown and Stiggy Hodgson.

“Chris and I played well together, no doubt,” Cantlay, 19, said in a USGA press release. “But Chris made a bunch of putts and was the rock out there for us all day. He really made the difference for us.”

“I would say he was the man of the match,” the 20-year-old Williams countered. “I guess we fed off each other. Yeah, I made some good putts, but he hit all the shots in there so that I could make the putts.

They had three birdies in a row starting on the seventh hole. Cantlay, the low amateur at this year’s U.S. Open, hit a wedge to 15 feet and watched Williams convert it to take a 3-up advantage. Williams, then made a 25-footer at No. 8 and a 12-footer at No. 9.

The competition concludes today with four foursomes and 10 singles matches. Williams and Cantlay will remain paired together today. Williams will also play his first singles match.

The United States has won three straight times and has 34-7-1 series lead.