WALKER CUP Bill Haas rallies U.S. to 7-5 lead

The U.S. is attempting to recapture the Walker Cup after two straight losses.
GANTON, England (AP) -- Bill Haas, whose father and uncle won the Walker Cup, helped rally the United States on Saturday to a 7-5 lead over Britain-Ireland halfway through the amateur tournament.
After Britain-Ireland won 3-1 in the foursomes, the Americans captured five of the eight singles matches, with two tied and one lost. The United States is trying to regain the Walker Cup after two straight losses in 1999 and 2001.
Haas, the 21-year-old son of 1975 winner Jay and nephew of 1985 winner Jerry, had already teamed with Trip Kuehne for a 2 and 1 victory over Gary Wolstenholme and Michael Skelton in the first of the foursomes to give the United States an early lead. But Britain-Ireland won the next three before their fans at Ganton Golf Club.
Equivalent to Ryder
The Waker Cup, a two-day biennial event, is the amateur equivalent of the Ryder Cup. The trophy is named after former U.S. Golf Association president George Herbert Walker, the great-grandfather of President Bush.
The Americans, who still have an overall 31-6 winning record over the hosts in a competition first played in 1922, needed something big from the youngest of the Haas golfing family.
Watched by his father, uncle and mother Pam from the other side of the ropes, he emerged the winner from a seesaw match against Wolstenholme, the host's strongest player who was bidding for a fourth Walker Cup triumph.
Having gone 2 up after four holes in the match-play format, Haas was 2 down going to the 13th. But three birdies in a row evened it with three holes to play, and Wolstenholme missed a 4-footer for bogey at the 16th.
Brock Mackenzie then tied the match at 3-3 by beating David Inglis 3 and 2. Kuehne tied with Oliver Wilson, and Matt Hendrix halved with Stuart Wilson.
Youngest player wins
Although 50-year-old Walker Cup rookie George Zahringer lost 3 and 2 to Nigel Edwards, the youngest player in the field, 18-year-old Casey Wittenberg, scored a 5 and 4 victory over Graham Gordon for the biggest victory on opening day.
Adam Rubinson then put the Americans ahead for the first time since the opening foursomes by beating Noel Fox 3 and 2. And Chris Nallen came from 3 down at the turn to edge Irishman Colm Moriarty by a hole to give the Americans a two-point lead going into Sunday.
The U.S. team ran into early trouble when Zahringer and Williams surrendered a 3-up lead and Britain-Ireland rallied to win the foursomes 3-1.
Early play
After Bill Haas and Kuehne had won the opening match, the Americans appeared set to take a 2-0 lead when Zahringer and 21-year-old fellow rookie Williams raced into a 3 up lead after seven holes.
But the Scottish duo of Stuart Wilson and Inglis struck. And, after a birdie-3 at the 284-yard 14th, turned the match around by winning the last three holes.
It got worse for the Americans when Edwards and Stuart Manley won 3 and 2 over Nallen and Ryan Moore, and the Irish pair of Fox and Moriarty triumphed 4 and 2 over Rubinson and Wittenberg.