'It Was Completely On Me' - Niall Shiels Donegan Takes Responsibility For Walker Cup Rules Blunder

Niall Shiels Donegan has taken responsibility for a controversial moment during the Saturday morning foursomes of the Walker Cup.

The Great Britain & Ireland player was at the center of a non conceded putt incident in his and Josh Hill’s match against the US duo of Josiah Gilbert and Ryder Cowan at Lahinch Golf Club.

Donegan and Hill appeared to be cruising to victory, going 4-up through eight holes and looking to extend that lead at the par-4 ninth.

After Gilbert and Cowan made par, Donegan had a putt to win the hole and move Team GB&I to 5-up.

However, the Scotsman’s six-footer missed and, after it rolled a foot by, he scooped it back with the putter as the hole appeared to have been halved.

Unfortunately for the 21-year-old, that proved a costly error as his putt hadn't officially been given by the American team.

After a conversation with a Rules Official at the ninth involving all four players, 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.

Because of that, instead of potentially going 5-up minutes earlier, the GB&I duo’s lead was 3-up, ensuring a more nervy back nine for the pair.

In the end, it didn’t make much difference, with the 3-up lead intact until the 12th when Donegan and Hill extended the advantage before going on to claim a 4&3 win.

Afterwards, Donegan took full responsibility for the blunder at the ninth, telling the Golf Channel: “It was completely on me. I hit the 6-footer and missed it like an idiot.

“I had a foot back, and I just dragged it away like I’m in a Sunday bounce game, but those aren’t the rules of golf. And you screw up, but it’s not about how you screw up, it’s about how you bounce back and we bounced back amazingly.”

Despite Donegan’s lapse of concentration, he was determined not to let it affect him as he prepared for his Saturday afternoon singles matchup against Tyler Watts.

He said: “Points are massive. Points are what get you over the line. To get one feels great. Going out this afternoon to try to get another.”

Helped by Hill and Donegan’s win, GB&I held a 2.5-1.5 lead heading into the afternoon session, with the hosts looking for their first Walker Cup win since a 16.5-9.5 victory at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2015.

As reigning champions, Team USA only needs 13 points to retain the Walker Cup. Team GB&I requires 13.5 points to win it outright.