It was pretty much lost in the nationwide excitement of the first Sunday of the National Football League season.

So there will not be a lot of fanfare about the United States team’s 15 1/2-10 1/2 Walker Cup victory over Great Britain-Ireland, Sept. 7-8 at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, in Holyake, England. In the world of amateur golf, however that was a significant result.

This is the amateur equivalent of the Ryder Cup, an event in which the U.S. has a great deal of difficulty winning on European soil. In the Walker Cup, a victory “across the pond” had not been accomplished since 2007. The U.S. now leads this series 37-9-1, with the 2020 cup matches scheduled to be held May 8-9, 2020, at the Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida.

After Day 1, the Americans trailed 7-5, so it was a comeback story and triumph, as our boys dominated the Day 2 play, 10 1/2 to 3 1/2.

“It’ll be something we’ll talk about for the next 30 to 40 years,” U.S. team captain Nate Crosby said.

Florida State junior John Pak sparked the U.S. by going undefeated in three matches. Brandon Wu and Alex Smalley won three of four matches. Cole Hammer, Stuart Hagestad and Akshay Bhatia also chipped in.

At age 17, Bhatia became the youngest player in Walker Cup history. He is the No. 1 junior player in the U.S. and ranked No. 8 among U.S. amateurs. It figures that he is planning to turn pro as early as next year.

Great job by the American lads. We can be very proud of what they did, and in dramatic fashion.

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Five area players competed in the Maine State Golf Association’s Senior Amateur on Sept. 10-11 at the York Golf & Tennis Club.

Mike Doucette of Spring Meadows had the area’s top performance. He recorded a 76-75—151 to finish 15th overall gross and fifth in the 60-64 age group. He also posted a 70-69—139 to win the net championship in his age group. Eric Lowell of Spring Meadows (82-88—170) was 25th in the 60-64 bracket and was 77-83—160 for 26th in net.

David Kroll of Fox Ridge placed 27th overall with a gross 80-74—155 and took fourth in the over-70 age group, plus second (72-67—139) in the 70-plus net bracket. In the same age group, Truman Libby of Springbrook (81-77—158) was sixth gross and (76-72—148) tied for seventh net, while Paul Pelletier of Martindale (79-80—159) was seventh gross and (74-75—149) ninth in gross. Pelletier was the overall Maine Senior Amateur champion in 2004.

A total of 82 players from 33 clubs were in the field, which saw Mark Plummer of Augusta take home his sixth senior amateur crown by shooting 76-69—145 to overcome first-round leader Gary Manoogian of Falmouth (71-75—146). Plummer owns 13 Maine Amateur titles, making him the best and most-decorated amateur in Maine history.

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Sun Journal ski columnist Dave Irons was master of ceremonies Sept. 5 at the 27th anniversary Maine Golf Hall of Fame induction dinner held in the banquet room of the Poland Spring Inn. Irons has been emcee for that event for about 20 years.

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The Tri-States (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine) competition at Sunday River concludes Sunday. The New England Senior Championship will be Sept. 17-18 at Biddeford-Saco. A Maine State Golf Association Senior Tour event will be Sept. 19 at Sanford, and the MSGA Mid-Amateur Championship will be Sept. 21-22 at Fox Ridge. For women, the weekly gross and net tournaments will be Sept. 17 at Toddy Brook and Hermon Meadow.

Bill Kennedy, a retired New Jersey golf writer and editor, now residing on Thompson Lake in Otisfield, is in his seventh season as Sun Journal golf columnist.