The Internationals arrived at Trump Turnberry looking to change the story of the Bridges Cup. After three editions and three American victories, Monday offered an opportunity to put the defending champions under pressure.
They took it.
With a morning surge followed by another winning session in the afternoon, the Internationals built a 6.5–3.5 lead on the opening day of the fourth Bridges Cup. On a day when Scottish autumn weather added to a demanding links test, a team filled with accomplished amateurs gave itself an encouraging start in pursuit of its first title.
“We couldn’t ask for more to be up three after the first two sessions,” International vice captain Darragh Coghlan said. “What I’ve learned about my team today is they are damn good at golf. I watched some spectacular golf out there today, so really proud of the boys. They performed admirably.”
The opening stage belonged to Trump Turnberry’s King Robert the Bruce course, which impressed players on both teams. The famed Ailsa — No. 18 in GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the World — may be the more familiar name, but its neighboring links proved a compelling setting for the first 10 matches.
With gorse tight to fairways and greens, King Robert the Bruce demanded precision and punished loose shots. Its exposed holes, guarded approaches and contoured greens presented the full links examination, particularly when drizzle, cold and wind arrived for the afternoon’s alternate-shot matches. Finding the right position mattered as much as finding the right club.
The Americans initially looked ready to handle the challenge. Scott Anderson and Hoyt McGarity won the opening fourball match, 3 and 2, and Cody Massa and DJ Lantz followed with a 1-up victory.
Then the International lineup showed its depth.
Jacob Austin and Lukas Michel won 4 and 3 to begin a sweep of the final three morning matches. For Michel, the Australian who became the first international winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 2019, success against American opposition was familiar territory.
Jonathan Bale and Dan Faccini added a 3-and-2 victory, while Gavin Dear and Josh Jamieson delivered the morning’s most decisive result, winning 6 and 5. Jamieson got hot early and made three birdies in the first five holes, while Dear brought considerable team-golf experience to the partnership. He helped Scotland win the 2008 World Amateur Team Championship and represented Great Britain and Ireland in the following year’s Walker Cup. On Monday, their pairing helped turn an early American advantage into a 3-2 International lead.
As the weather deteriorated in the afternoon, the Internationals kept moving.
Angus Carrick and Calum Hill never trailed in a 5-and-4 victory in the leadoff foursomes match. Andrew Davidson and James White followed with a 3-and-2 win.
The third match required considerably more patience. Caolan Rafferty and Colm Campbell did not move ahead of Dennis Bull and Andrew Price until the 17th hole, then held on to win 1 up.
Their experience offered another illustration of the caliber of this International side: Rafferty represented GB&I in the 2019 Walker Cup, while Campbell won the Irish Amateur Open in 2016 and 2022. Their narrow victory counted just as much as the day’s more comfortable wins — and stretched the Americans’ deficit.
The U.S. found a response in the final two matches. Drew Stoltz and Pete Tomasulo won 1 up, and Drew Kittleson and John Peterson tied Bale and Faccini to secure another half-point.
The final American pairing carried its own notable credentials. Kittleson was runner-up in the 2008 U.S. Amateur, while Peterson won the 2011 NCAA individual championship at LSU. Their half-point kept the overall margin at three heading into Tuesday.
For the Americans, the task is now to draw on that experience and recover. For the Internationals, it is to turn an impressive opening day into something they have yet to achieve: a Bridges Cup victory.
“The matches were close,” U.S. captain Jeff Fujimoto said. “Some guys made a few more putts than us on the other team. Tomorrow we’ve got a big day. We’ve got to figure out the pairings and have a strong day tomorrow.”
The competition moves to the Ailsa on Tuesday for another five fourball and five foursomes matches, before 12 singles matches decide the Bridges Cup on Wednesday.
Tuesday’s opening fourball match tees off at 8:20 a.m. local time. With 22 points still available, the Americans have ample opportunity to respond. But after one day on Scotland’s coast, it is the Internationals who have given themselves the platform to make history.
