Rising Yorkshire star Jack Whaley proved as good as his word as he added Walker Cup glory to the US Amateur title he won last month.

The 22-year-old from Doncaster produced a record margin of victory to kickstart a momentous comeback victory by Great Britain and Ireland against the United States at Lahinch on Sunday.

Whaley had told The Yorkshire Post a fortnight ago in the wake of becoming only the third Englishman to win the US Amateur Championship that he could be a key contributor for the home team as they looked to win golf’s greatest amateur matchplay team title for the first time since 2015.

And despite not being used in the morning foursomes on Saturday or Sunday, and losing his opening singles match on the 18th hole on day one, the Rotherham Golf Club member came good when his team needed him.

Man of the moment: Jack Whaley of Great Britain & Ireland tees off during the Walker Cup against the United States at Lahinch. (Picture: Getty Images)

placeholder image — Man of the moment: Jack Whaley of Great Britain & Ireland tees off during the Walker Cup against the United States at Lahinch. (Picture: Getty Images)

GB&I led 6.5-5.5 after day one but lost all the morning foursomes and went into the 10 singles sessions trailing by three points and needing to win seven of them.

It was Whaley - who won the US Amateur at Merion three weeks ago - who got the ball rolling.

Sent out in the third match, he only needed to play 11 holes as he blew away William Jennings 8&7 to reduce the deficit to two points.

In doing so Whaley equalled the second largest margin of victory in a singles match in the Walker Cup, and biggest by a GB&I player.

Walker Cup glory boys: Jack Whaley (left) with Connor Graham, Eliot Baker and Tyler Weaver of Team GB&I celebrate victory over the United States at Lahinch Golf Club on September 6, 2026 (Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images)

GB&I’s comeback went down to the very last hole which saw Josh Hill get up and down from a bunker to beat Tyler Watts to spark jubilant scenes on the west coast of Ireland.

Delighted captain Dean Robertson said: “We are so elated. We're hardly able to put it into words. There's a lot of emotion, a lot of happy tears.

"But pride is the word I would use to describe this.

“There was most definitely a belief in the players and even though we were swept 4-0 this morning, there wasn't a despondency.

“The boys have delivered and I am incredibly proud of each and every one of them.”

Luke Poulter won both his singles matches and his dad Ian - one of Europe’s greatest Ryder Cup players - picked up the tab in an Irish bar for celebrating players and fans.