A HARTLEPOOL pro turned on the style at just the right time to help Great Britain & Ireland claim the PGA Cup - and hopes it boosts his European Tour dream.

Alex Wrigley might have been the youngest member of Jon Bevan’s team but he won his Sunday singles match to edge to within a point of victory over the USA.

GB&I nudged to 12.5-11.5 thanks to Wrigley’s 3&1 win over Grant Sturgeon and that paved the way for Niall Kearney to coolly drain an eight foot putt to earn a first ever win on American soil for the Europeans in CordeValle, California.

There was a titanic struggle in the singles which saw Bevan’s men eventually win 5.5-4.5 to take the match 13.5-12.5 to lift the Llandudno Trophy.

It was an enthralling few days in which it went right down to the final hole of the five sessions. Kearney had fired his approach dangerously close to the hazard at the back of the par five 18th but splashed up and holed out to win after Alan Morin had missed a 30 foot putt.

Wrigley said: "It's been a crazy week over here. We obviously started great on Friday morning and then the USA team played awesome on Friday afternoon to pull it back. From then on the games where so close and every point was crucial for either side.

"Fortunately we just snuck past them with the last putt on the last hole in the last game. I don't think I have felt so much emotion when the putt went in. Everybody went crazy!"

At one point Allen Wronowski’s United States team were up in seven of the matches but slowly the tide changed and it boiled down to a dramatic Sunday.

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

Cameron Clark and Mike Watson were defeated as was Paul Hendriksen but when Beeston Fields pro Clark 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 Sturgeon and then leaving Kearney to do his bit.

Wrigley is still in California enjoying a break and when he returns the aim will be to secure his European Tour card at Qualifying School.

"I had a great match against Grant and I was obviously over the moon to beat him on the 17th," said Wrigley, who has missed out on his card on his two previous attempts.

"Playing under that kind of pressure in the penultimate group at the PGA Cup was a fantastic experience and one that I'm sure will stand me in good stead not only as I start my European Tour qualifying next week, but for future situations when I am faced with the same kind of pressure.

"I can honestly say it was one of the best weeks of my life last week. The team we had was a strong team but the friendships that have been made out here and the camaraderie between us all was the 11th man in our team!

"The captains, led by Jon Bevan, were huge in instilling confidence and belief in us that we could get the job done. They truly believed from the word go we would pick up the trophy."