In the lead-up to the 2026 Bridges Cup, U.S. captain Jeff Fujimoto and International skipper Simon Holt played tug-of-war over which team was the underdog in the fourth edition of the premier mid-amateur match-play competition to be hosted at Trump Turnberry.
“I think we are going to go in and upset them,” Fujimoto said prior to the event.
“I’d probably disagree that they are underdogs,” Holt retorted.
The U.S. won the first three editions of the Bridges Cup, but the Internationals’ depth and talent made it clear early on this week that Round 4 would be a different story.
Turns out it was.
Holt’s squad led 6.5-3.5 after Day 1 on Monday, which was played at the demanding King Robert The Bruce course. The Internationals stretched their lead on Tuesday at Trump Turnberry’s iconic Ailsa Course, winning both the morning fourball and afternoon foursomes sessions 3 and 2.
That left the Americans in a 12.5-7.5 hole heading into Wednesday’s 12 singles matches, needing to mount an impressive final-day comeback on a course where Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus once authored their infamous “Duel in the Sun.”
But on Wednesday, with the Scottish winds blowing, a vaunted International squad held off an early front-nine American charge, winning the first four singles matches on their way to a 20-12 route.
“Overall, watching the International team play, I felt like they made a lot more putts,” Fujimoto said after the loss. “If we could’ve made a few more putts, I think it would’ve been a closer match.”
The U.S. needed to get off to a hot start to have any hope of winning its fourth straight Bridges Cup. Early on, it looked like an American flurry was coming, but the Internationals stemmed the tide and emphatically put the competition to bed.
In the opening match, Daniel Faccini won the first hole against Drew Kittleson and held a 1-up advantage until the eighth hole, where he went 2 up after Kittleson made a double bogey. Faccini soon made it a 3-up lead, and he closed it out on the 15th to win 4 and 3.
The second match was much tighter, with Jonathan Bale and John Peterson battling for all 18 holes. Bale won the first two holes, but Peterson, who won the 2011 NCAA individual title at LSU, tied the match with wins at Nos. 4 and 8. A stellar birdie by Peterson at the 10th gave him the lead, but Bale answered with a birdie of his own at the 12th to tie the match. Peterson bogeyed the par-5 14th to give Bale the edge and he held on to win the match, 1 up.
Right behind Bale and Peterson, another Trump Turnberry duel went the distance. Andrew Price took an early 2-up lead over Andrew Davidson, giving the Americans some hope. Price’s lead oscillated between 1 and 2 up until Davidson tied the match by winning the 12th and 14th holes. Price edged back in front when Davidson made a bogey on the 15th, but Davidson responded with birdies at 16 and 17 to take a 1-up lead, which he closed out on 18.
The fourth match saw Dennis White and James Bull arrive at the 18th tee box all square. After starting the singles session 3-0, the Internationals had 15.5 points, one point away from securing their first Bridges Cup. The Americans needed White to knock off Bull on 18 and then sweep the remaining matches, or their winning streak would end on the Scottish turf at Trump Turnberry’s famed Ailsa Course.
But Bull made bogey at the demanding par-4 18th — in a throwback to the 2009 Open Championship at Trump Turnberry, Bull went long over the green and failed to get up and down, just as a 59-year-old Watson did in the final round — allowing White to win the match and give the Internationals the Bridges Cup with a par.
With the Bridges Cup in hand, the International side went about putting an exclamation point on their streak-stopping win.
Drew Stoltz put the first point on the board for the Americans with a 2-up win over Caolan Rafferty, but Colm Campbell beat Peter Tomasula 7 and 5 to give the Internationals another notch. Jacob Austin and Angus Carrick put two more International flags on the board late in the day. Austin dispatched Cody Massa 2 and 1, while Carrick handled Scott Strickland 4 and 2. Two American flags went up to close out the day. Hoyt McGarity beat Gavin Dear 4 and 3, and Andrew Medley won the anchor match over Calum Hill, 2 and 1. DJ Lanz and Lukas Mitchell tied their match, giving the Internationals a 7.5-4.5 singles win and a resounding 20-12 victory at Trump Turnberry.
Trump Turnberry shone as the ultimate host. Conditions were unmatched on the Ailsa Course, GOLF’s 18th-ranked course in the world, which is still fresh following a sparkling 2025 renovation led by the Trump Organization and architect Martin Ebert. Several holes were improved, further cementing the Scottish getaway — already known for its exceptional service and facilities — on GOLF’s ranking of the Top 100 Resorts in the World.
Up next is another epic location: the fifth Bridges Cup is set for Nine Bridges in South Korea in 2027.
But as the fourth Bridges Cup ended Wednesday, the International team doused Holt with celebratory champagne and thanked their skipper for another memorable week at the premier mid-amateur event.
“On behalf of all of us, we want to recognize the incredible time, commitment and preparation you put into [this team],” Jacob Austin told Holt in the clubhouse as the International squad celebrated. “Selfishly, you’ve given me three incredible experiences, so much so that my daughter’s middle name is the place where we played the last one. I’ve always carried this close to me.
“Thanks for bringing us all together. It’s a pleasure to be united with all of these great players. On behalf of all of us, a huge thank you — and we did it!”
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