TEAM USA READY FOR 43RD WALKER CUP MATCHES
THE 43RD SEMI-ANNUAL WALKER CUP MATCHES TEE OFF THIS WEEK,
AT THE ROYAL ABERDEEN GOLF LINKS IN SCOTLAND.
The United States will attempt to win it's fourth straight Walker Cup
Championship this weekend at the Royal Aberdeen Golf Links in
Scotland.
This championship marks the 43rd matches that started in 1922,
and were first held at the National Golf Links in Southampton NY.
The United States holds a commanding 34-7-1 lead in the matches,
over the GB & I team. The event is the Ryder Cup of amateur golf,
but there are some differences between the two events.
The teams are made up of only 10 players and not 12 like the
Ryder Cup, the American is made up of 10 players from the
United States. While the GB & I team is comprised of players
from Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Team GB & I is not comprised of players from the remainder of
the european countries, like in the Ryder Cup. The Ryder Cup is
played over a period of three days, while the Walker Cup matches
are played in just two days.
This week opening ceremonies will start the Walker Cup on Friday,
and the matches will begin on Saturday and conclude on Sunday
September 11th. United States Team Captain Jim Holtgrieve has
asked for and received assurances from both the USGA, and the
Royal and Ancient Club (R & A) that before on play on Sunday.
There will be a short presentation to remember all the people who
were lost on the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001.
The format for the matches are as follows. Saturday Morning four
foursome matches (Alternate Shot), each match is worth is one
point. In the afternoon there will be eight singles matches each
worth one point. On Sunday the format is the same in the morning,
with the afternoon seeing 10 singles matches with all the players
from both teams competing.
Like in the Ryder Cup, if both teams are tied in points. The Cup
will stay with the team that currently holds the trophy. The United
States has won the last three matches, starting in 2005 at the
Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton IL. Then Team USA retained the
cup with a win in 2007 at The Royal County Down Golf Links in
Ireland. The last Walker Cup matches were played in 2009 at
the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore PA, with the USA winning by
a 16 1/2-9 1/2 margin.
The key players for the United States were current PGA Tour
pro Rickie Fowler, and current Team USA member and 2010
US Amateur Champion Peter Uihlein who plays college golf at
Oklahoma State. Both players went a perfect 4-0 in their matches,
with Uihlein clinching the outright winning point for the United
States. The last Team GB & I win came in 2003 at the Ganton
Club.
Matches will be played on the Balgownie Course at the Royal
Aberdeen golf links, which will play to a par of 70 and yardage
of 6,873. The courses toughest holes come early. The longest
hole is the par 5, 558 yard second hole. The third hole is the
longest par 3 on the course playing at 247 yards, with the
second longest par 4, being the 445 yard third hole.
Balgownie is the sixth oldest course in the world according to
records,that trace the courses existence to 1780.
TEAM USA...is led by Holtgrieve who played on three winning
Walker Cup teams in 1979-81-83. Holtgrieve holds a career
winning record of 6-4, with a 3-1 record in singles.
The 10 players who will represent the United States are 1. Patrick
Cantlay 2. Peter Uihlein 3. Russell Henley 4. Harris English 5.
Patrick Rodgers 6. Chris Williams 7. Nathan Smith 8. Jordan
Spieth 9. Blayne Barber 10. New US Amateur champion Kelly Kraft.
TEAM GB & I..is led by Captain Nigel Edwards whose long putt on
the 18th hole at the Chicago Golf Club in the final match, almost
halved the matches and left the cup in the hands of GB & I.
The 10 players who make up the GB & I team are from England.
1. Jack Senior 2. Tom Lewis 3. Steven Brown 4. Stiggy Hodgson
5. Andrew Sullivan, from Scotland 6. Michael Stewart and 7. James
Bryne, from Wales 8. Rhys Pugh and from Ireland 9. Paul Cutler
10.Alan Dunbar.
A two-hour highlights TV package will be produced by the BBC,
and will be shown in America on ESPN 2, on Sunday from 2-4 PM
CST.For more coverage of the Walker Cup during play this weekend,
please visit www.walkercup.org.
Future sites for the Walker Cup include 2013, The National Golf Links
NY., 2015 Royal Lytham and St. Annes, 2017 The Los Angeles CC.
TO HEAR RORY'S INTERVIEW WITH UNITED STATES TEAM CAPTAIN
JIM HOLTGRIEVE PLEASE CLICK HERE:
Download | Duration: 00:09:00
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