FORMER Wessex Golf Centre professional Jon Bevan and his Great Britain & Ireland PGA Cup team etched their names into the history books to win the PGA Cup after a titanic singles display at CordeValle, California.

The team, which included Weymouth’s Michael Watson, defeated the United States 5.5-4.5 to take the match 13.5-12.5 and win the Llandudno Trophy on American soil for the first time.

An enthralling Sunday singles went right down to the final hole of the five sessions before Niall Kearney coolly drained an eight foot putt to spark jubilant scenes.

Kearney had fired his approach dangerously close to the hazard at the back of the par-five 18th but splashed up and then holed out to win one-up, after Alan Morin had missed a 30-foot putt which would have ensured the US retained the PGA Cup.

“Niall Kearney was looking at eight feet of California real estate like it was the easiest thing in the world and that’s the reason he was at number 10,” said Bevan.

“He didn’t get the nickname ‘two beats’ for nothing. There’s not a lot going on in the chest area when he gets going.

“He coped with every situation.

I’m proud of him and I’m proud of all of them. I know there is nothing left out there, they’ve left everything in California.”

At one point, Allen Wronowski’s United States team were up in seven of the matches but slowly the tide changed.

Bevan’s tactic of front loading his big-hitters paid dividends with David Dixon, Graham Fox and Jason Levermore securing points.

Heading into the back nine, momentum had gradually shifted GB&I’s way with Alex Wrigley and Kearney up in the last two while Lee Clarke had turned his match around against Sean Dougherty.

Cameron Clark and Watson were defeated as was Paul Hendriksen but when Beeston Fields pro Clarke halved the last after a tugged pitch, the match score was locked at 11.5-11.5.

GB&I nudged to 12.5-11.5 thanks to Wrigley’s 3&1 win over Grant Sturgeon and eventually Kearney was left needing a point for victory, which he duly delivered.

Bevan added: “All week I’ve been calm, I don’t know why, I’ve actually found it quite easy to stay calm which suggests to me I’ve got total belief in my team.

“To win the PGA Cup is the culmination of 12 months of planning but I will definitely have a word with Niall about doing it an easier way.”