Cups, skippered the Americans, including Kelly Kraft, US Amateur champion; Peter Uihlein; Patrick Cantlay, who scored a course record of 60 at a PGA tour event as an amateur; and Jordan Spieth
whose achievements at
time included victory in two US Junior championships. Since then he has won 11 tour events including three majors and earned prize money of $38 million. Day 1 - Foursomes: US 1, GB&I 3. Singles US 4, GB&I 4. Day 2 - Foursomes: US ½, GB&I 3 ½. Singles: US 6 ½, GB&I 3 ½. The overall match result was US 12, GB&I
Match 44 2013, SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK, USA. Much of the history of golf in America and of the USGA is intertwined with C. B. Mcdonald, the man behind the dream of the National Golf Links of America. C. B. spent time as a young man in Scotland and England where he nourished his interest in the game. He achieved his ambition “of developing a links comparable to anything in the British Isles with the development of the ‘National’, which opened for play in 1910. Jim Holtgrieve was the US captain and his team included Michael Kim, low amateur at the 2013 US Open at Merion; Nathan Smith, a career amateur who had played in two previous matches and in four Masters as a result of winning the US Mid Amateur on 4 occasions; and Justin Thomas, who would chalk up nine PGA victories, be crowned 2017 PGA champion, and win some $27 million in prize money. Nigel Edwards was captain of the GB&I team which included Matthew
that
Fitzpatrick, winner of the 2013 US Amateur and five European tour events; and Rhys Pugh who had played in the previous Walker Cup match. Day 1 - Foursomes: US 1 ½, GB&I 2 ½. Singles: US 6 ½, GB&I 1 ½. Day 2 - Foursomes: US 2, GB&I 2. Singles: US 7, GB&I 3. The overall match result was US 17, GB&I 9.
Match 45 2015, LYTHAM ST ANNES, LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND. The Club was founded in 1886 and attracted leading local players - John Ball Jr. and Harold
amateurs along with
Hilton, the only two Bobby Jones
to win both the Amateur and Open championships, were members. The course, in the words of Bernard Darwin, “sets the golfer just about as ruthless an examination as any course of my acquaintance. It is a beast but a fair beast”. It has hosted a leading amateur tournament, the Lytham Trophy, every year since 1965. Nigel Edwards was captain of GB&I
for the third time. The team was dominated by Celts, five from Ireland and three from Scotland, with the remaining two members being English. Gavin Moynihan was the sole survivor from the 2013 team. John “Spider” Miller was US captain. A 49-year-old debutant in the Walker Cup at Nairn in 1999, he won the US Mid Amateur on two occasions. His team included Bryson DeChambeau, he of technical oddity and now winner of 5 PGA tour events; Beau Hossler, who at 16 years of age qualified for the US Open; and Jordan Niebrugge, a previous Walker Cup player who took the silver medal in The Open at St Andrews despite the sterling performance of Paul Dunne who led the tournament going into the final day. Day 1 - Foursomes: US 1, GB&I 3. Singles: US 4, GB&I 4. DAY 2 - Foursomes:US 1, GB&I 3. Singles: US 3 ½, GB&I 6 ½. The overall match result was US 9 ½, GB&I 16 ½.
Match 46 2017, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA. The Los Angeles Country Club, North
Course, located in the middle of Beverly Hills, was the venue for the match. The Club has jealousy safeguarded its privacy over the years, even to the extent of withdrawing from hosting the 1956 US Amateur because of the crowds who attended the 1954 US Junior championship. By hosting
the Walker
Cup LACC was finally showcasing its wonderful course designed by George C Thomas Jr. in 1921. Over time the integrity of the design was undermined but it was restored by Gil Hanse and opened to much admiration in 2010. ‘Spider’ Miller was again captain of
the US team which included Maverick McNealy who had played in the 2015 Match; Stewart Hagestad, low amateur at the Masters; and Doc Redmond, who won the US Amateur at the first tie hole, having eagled the 35th hole and birdied the 36th to get that far. When Craig Watson had to withdraw
due to illness of a family member, Andy Ingram took his place as captain of a GB&I team including Harry Ellis who won the Amateur, coming from four down with five to play and winning at the 38th; and Matthew Jordan from Royal Liverpool who had won the St. Andrews Links Trophy and featured prominently in all of the amateur tournaments of the year. Day 1 - Foursomes: US 2, GB&I 2. Singles: US 6, GB&I 2. Day 2 - Foursomes: US 3, GB&I 1. Singles: US 8, CB&I 2. The overall match result was US 19, GB&I 7.
And so concludes this series exploring the history of the Walker Cup. For me it has been a journey across great golf courses in the company of great players. However, I cannot help but regret the change in emphasis for most if not all of those who now compete in the matches. Nowadays, the Walker Cup is seen
as a stepping stone to the professional ranks and future riches. The demise of the career amateur has done little to enhance the folklore and attraction of the event and, for my part, it is a pity, to mention but a few, that the names of Tolley, Wethered, Bruen, Carr, Bonallack, McEvoy, Wolstenholme and Edwards on the GB&I teams; and Jones, Ouimet, Campbell, Siegel, Coe, Patton on the US teams, are among the last of their breed. n
ROYAL LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUB 2019–2020 MAGAZINE 57
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