Ahead of the 2026 Bridges Cup, U.S. captain Jeff Fujimoto and International skipper Simon Holt debated which side entered as the underdog in the fourth installment of the premier mid‑amateur match‑play event hosted at Trump Turnberry.
“I expect we’ll pull off an upset,” Fujimoto remarked before the competition.
Holt countered, “I wouldn’t label them underdogs.”
Although the United States had captured the first three Bridges Cups, the Internationals’ depth and skill signaled early in the week that the fourth edition would unfold differently – and it did.
After Monday’s play on the demanding King Robert The Bruce course, Holt’s team held a 6.5‑3.5 advantage. They expanded that lead on Tuesday at Trump Turnberry’s famed Ailsa Course, claiming both the morning fourball and afternoon foursomes by a 3‑2 margin.
That left the United States trailing 12.5‑7.5 before Wednesday’s twelve singles matches, facing the task of staging a strong final‑day rally on a layout where Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus once staged their famous “Duel in the Sun.”
Nevertheless, amid the Scottish breezes on Wednesday, the formidable International side repelled an early American surge on the front nine, capturing the first four singles and marching to a decisive 20‑12 victory.
Fujimoto reflected after the defeat, “Overall, I felt the Internationals holed more putts. Had we sunk a few more, the match might have been tighter.”
The United States required a fast start to keep its hopes alive for a fourth consecutive Bridges Cup. Early signs suggested an American surge, but the Internationals halted the momentum and sealed the win.
In the opener, Daniel Faccini snatched the first hole from Drew Kittleson and maintained a 1‑up lead until the eighth, when Kittleson’s double bogey pushed Faccini to 2‑up. He extended the advantage to 3‑up and secured the match 4 and 3 on the 15th.
The second match proved far tighter, with Jonathan Bale and John Peterson locked in battle over all eighteen holes. Bale claimed the first two holes, but Peterson — the 2011 LSU NCAA individual champion — levelled the score with victories at holes four and eight. A superb birdie by Peterson on the 10th put him ahead, yet Bale responded with a birdie on the 12th to square the match. Peterson’s bogey on the par‑5 14th handed Bale the edge, which he preserved to win 1‑up.
Following closely behind, another Trump Turnberry duel extended to the final hole. Andrew Price jumped to an early 2‑up lead over Andrew Davidson, giving the U.S. a glimmer of hope. Price’s advantage fluctuated between one and two until Davidson squared the match by winning holes twelve and fourteen. Price reclaimed the lead after a Davidson bogey on the fifteenth, but Davidson countered with birdies on holes sixteen and seventeen to seize a 1‑up advantage, which he held to the eighteenth.
In the fourth match, Dennis White and James Bull reached the 18th tee tied. After the Internationals opened the singles session 3‑0, they stood at 15.5 points — just one shy of clinching their inaugural Bridges Cup. For the U.S. to keep its streak alive, White had to defeat Bull on the final hole and then sweep the remaining contests; otherwise, the run would end on Scottish soil at Trump Turnberry’s celebrated Ailsa Course.
However, Bull bogeyed the demanding par‑4 18th, echoing the 2009 Open Championship at Trump Turnberry when he missed the green and failed to get up and down, much like a 59‑year‑old Watson did in the final round that year. The mistake handed White the hole, securing the match and delivering the Bridges Cup to the Internationals with a par.
Having clinched the Bridges Cup, the International team set out to underscore their streak‑breaking triumph.
Drew Stoltz opened the American scoring with a 2‑up victory over Caolan Rafferty, but Colm Campbell replied by defeating Peter Tomasula 7 and 5, adding another point for the Internationals. Jacob Austin and Angus Carrick then contributed two more International points late in the day — Austin besting Cody Massa 2 and 1, and Carrick overcoming Scott Strickland 4 and 2. The United States added two points to close the session, as Hoyt McGarity topped Gavin Dear 4 and 3 and Andrew Medley claimed the anchor match against Calum Hill 2 and 1. DJ Lanz and Lukas Mitchell halved their encounter, leaving the Internationals with a 7.5‑4.5 edge in singles and an overall 20‑12 triumph at Trump Turnberry.
Trump Turnberry proved an outstanding host. The Ailsa Course, ranked 18th worldwide by GOLF, presented pristine conditions after a sparkling 2025 overhaul directed by the Trump Organization and architect Martin Ebert. Upgrades to several holes reinforced the Scottish resort’s reputation for top‑tier service and facilities, strengthening its place among GOLF’s Top 100 Resorts.
Looking ahead, the fifth Bridges Cup will move to Nine Bridges in South Korea in 2027.
When the fourth Bridges Cup concluded on Wednesday, the International side celebrated by showering Holt with champagne and thanking him for another memorable week at the premier mid‑amateur competition.
“On behalf of everyone, I want to acknowledge the tremendous time, dedication and preparation you have invested in this team,” Jacob Austin said to Holt in the clubhouse as the Internationals celebrated. “Selfishly, you have given me three unforgettable experiences; so much so that my daughter’s middle name is the venue where we played the last edition. I have always kept this close to my heart.”
“Thank you for bringing us all together. It is a privilege to stand alongside these exceptional players. On behalf of the whole group, a massive thank you — and we did it!”
