Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested in odd-numbered years by leading amateur golfers in two teams: United States, and Great Britain and Ireland. The official name is the Walker Cup Match (not "Matches" as in Ryder Cup Matches). It is organised by The R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA). In 1921 the Royal Liverpool Golf Club hosted an unofficial contest which was followed by official annual contests from 1922 through 1924. From 1925 they became biennial, held on even-number years. After World War II they switched to odd-numbered years. They are held alternately in the U.S., and Ireland or Britain.
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | 2019: Hoylake, Merseyside, England |
| Established | 1922 |
| Course(s) | 2019: Royal Liverpool Golf Club |
| Organized by | The R&A and United States Golf Association |
| Format | Match play |
| Month played | September |
| Current champion | |
 United States | |
 2019 Walker Cup | |
The cup is named after George Herbert Walker who was president of the USGA in 1920 when the match was initiated. Walker is the grandfather and namesake of George H. W. Bush and great-grandfather of George W. Bush, the 41st and 43rd Presidents of the United States, respectively.
Unlike the Ryder Cup, which similarly began as a competition between the U.S. and the United Kingdom, the Walker Cup has never been expanded to include all European amateur golfers.
As of 2019, the U.S. lead the Walker Cup series 37 to 9, with one match tied, but the two teams have been more evenly matched since 1989 when the Great Britain and Ireland team ended the U.S. team's eight-match winning run. The 1989 match and the three matches from 2003 to 2007 were all decided by a single point.
Founding of the Cup
Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) 1921
A team of American amateur golfers travelled in Britain in 1921, their objective being to win The Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool (Hoylake). A match between American and British amateur golfers was played on May 21, immediately before The Amateur Championship. This match was announced in The Times on May 10. The Times reports that the match was arranged by Gershom Stewart M.P., Chairman of Royal Liverpool Golf Club.[1]
The British team was: Tommy Armour, Colin Aylmer, Ernest Holderness, James Jenkins, Reymond de Montmorency, Gordon Simpson, Cyril Tolley and Roger Wethered. The American team was Chick Evans, William C. Fownes Jr. (Captain), Jesse Guilford, Paul Hunter, Bobby Jones, Francis Ouimet, J. Wood Platt, Fred Wright. The Americans won the match 9–3.[2]
Format
The Walker Cup employs a combination of foursomes (alternate-shot) and singles competition and was originally the format used for the professional equivalent Ryder Cup. Up to 1961, 36 holes matches were played: four foursomes on the first day and eight singles matches on the second day. From 1963, 18 hole matches were played, with four foursomes and eight singles matches on each day. In 2009, the number of singles matches on the second day was increased to 10, so that all members of the team play on this final afternoon.[3]
Results
Half points for halved matches were first awarded in 1971. Note that in the following table, half points for halved matches are included in the total scores prior to 1971 for consistency with later years. The following scores include halved matches: 1923: 1, 1926: 1, 1932: 3, 1934: 1, 1936: 3, 1938: 1, 1951: 3, 1957: 1, 1963: 4, 1965: 2, 1967: 4, 1969: 6
| Year | Venue | Winning team | Score | Losing team | Captains | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Royal Liverpool Golf Club | United States |
15½ | 10½ |  Great Britain & Ireland |
Nathaniel Crosby Craig Watson | |||
| 2017 | Los Angeles Country Club | United States |
19 | 7 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Spider Miller.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Andy Ingram | |||
| 2015 | Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club | Great Britain & Ireland |
16½ | 9½ | United States |
Spider Miller Nigel Edwards | |||
| 2013 | National Golf Links of America | United States |
17 | 9 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Jim Holtgrieve Nigel Edwards | |||
| 2011 | Royal Aberdeen Golf Club | Great Britain & Ireland |
14 | 12 | United States |
Jim Holtgrieve Nigel Edwards | |||
| 2009 | Merion Golf Club | United States |
16½ | 9½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Buddy Marucci Colin Dalgleish | |||
| 2007 | Royal County Down Golf Club | United States |
12½ | 11½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Buddy Marucci Colin Dalgleish | |||
| 2005 | Chicago Golf Club | United States |
12½ | 11½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Bob Lewis Garth McGimpsey | |||
| 2003 | Ganton Golf Club | Great Britain & Ireland |
12½ | 11½ | United States |
Bob Lewis Garth McGimpsey | |||
| 2001 | Ocean Forest Golf Club | Great Britain & Ireland |
15 | 9 | United States |
Danny Yates Peter McEvoy | |||
| 1999 | Nairn Golf Club | Great Britain & Ireland |
15 | 9 | United States |
Danny Yates Peter McEvoy | |||
| 1997 | Quaker Ridge Golf Club | United States |
18 | 6 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Downing Gray Clive Brown | |||
| 1995 | Royal Porthcawl Golf Club | Great Britain & Ireland |
14 | 10 | United States |
Downing Gray Clive Brown | |||
| 1993 | Interlachen Country Club | United States |
19 | 5 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Vinny Giles George Macgregor | |||
| 1991 | Portmarnock Golf Club | United States |
14 | 10 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Jim Gabrielsen George Macgregor | |||
| 1989 | Peachtree Golf Club | Great Britain & Ireland |
12½ | 11½ | United States |
Fred Ridley Geoff Marks | |||
| 1987 | Sunningdale Golf Club | United States |
16½ | 7½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Fred Ridley Geoff Marks | |||
| 1985 | Pine Valley Golf Club | United States |
13 | 11 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Jay Sigel Charlie Green | |||
| 1983 | Royal Liverpool Golf Club | United States |
13½ | 10½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Jay Sigel Charlie Green | |||
| 1981 | Cypress Point Club | United States |
15 | 9 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Jim Gabrielsen Rodney Foster | |||
| 1979 | Muirfield | United States |
15½ | 8½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Dick Siderowf Rodney Foster | |||
| 1977 | Shinnecock Hills Golf Club | United States |
16 | 8 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Lewis Oehmig Sandy Saddler | |||
| 1975 | Old Course at St Andrews | United States |
15½ | 8½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Ed Updegraff David Marsh | |||
| 1973 | The Country Club | United States |
14 | 10 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Jess Sweetser David Marsh | |||
| 1971 | Old Course at St Andrews | Great Britain & Ireland |
13 | 11 | United States |
John M. Winters Michael Bonallack | |||
| 1969 | Milwaukee Country Club | United States |
13 | 11 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Billy Joe Patton Michael Bonallack | |||
| 1967 | Royal St George's Golf Club | United States |
15 | 9 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Jess Sweetser Joe Carr | |||
| 1965 | Baltimore Country Club | United States |
12 | 12 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Johnny Fischer Joe Carr | |||
| 1963 | Turnberry | United States |
14 | 10 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Richard Tufts Charles Lawrie | |||
| 1961 | Seattle Golf Club | United States |
11 | 1 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Jack Westland Charles Lawrie | |||
| 1959 | Muirfield | United States |
9 | 3 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Charles Coe Gerald Micklem | |||
| 1957 | The Minikahda Club | United States |
8½ | 3½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Charles Coe Gerald Micklem | |||
| 1955 | Old Course at St Andrews | United States |
10 | 2 | Great Britain & Ireland |
William C. Campbell Alec Hill | |||
| 1953 | The Kittansett Club | United States |
9 | 3 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Charlie Yates Tony Duncan | |||
| 1951 | Royal Birkdale Golf Club | United States |
7½ | 4½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Willie Turnesa Raymond Oppenheimer | |||
| 1949 | Winged Foot Golf Club | United States |
10 | 2 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Francis Ouimet Laddie Lucas | |||
| 1947 | Old Course at St Andrews | United States |
8 | 4 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Francis Ouimet John Beck | |||
| 1940–1946: Not held due to World War II | |||||||||
| 1940 | Town & Country Club | 1940 event was awarded to The Town & Country Club of St. Paul, Minnesota but the matches were canceled due to World War II | |||||||
| 1938 | Old Course at St Andrews | Great Britain & Ireland |
7½ | 4½ | United States |
Francis Ouimet John Beck | |||
| 1936 | Pine Valley Golf Club | United States |
10½ | 1½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Francis Ouimet William Tweddell | |||
| 1934 | Old Course at St Andrews | United States |
9½ | 2½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Francis Ouimet Michael Scott | |||
| 1932 | The Country Club | United States |
9½ | 2½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Francis Ouimet Tony Torrance | |||
| 1930 | Royal St George's Golf Club | United States |
10 | 2 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Bobby Jones Roger Wethered | |||
| 1928 | Chicago Golf Club | United States |
11 | 1 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Bobby Jones William Tweddell | |||
| 1926 | Old Course at St Andrews | United States |
6½ | 5½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Robert Gardner Robert Harris | |||
| 1924 | Garden City Golf Club | United States |
9 | 3 | Great Britain & Ireland |
Robert Gardner Cyril Tolley | |||
| 1923 | Old Course at St Andrews | United States |
6½ | 5½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Robert Gardner Robert Harris | |||
| 1922 | National Golf Links of America | United States |
8 | 4 | Great Britain & Ireland |
William C. Fownes Jr. Robert Harris | |||
Of the 47 matches, USA has won 37 matches, Great Britain and Ireland have won 9 with 1 match tied.
Future sites
- 2021 – Seminole Golf Club (Juno Beach, Florida), May 8–9
- 2023 – Old Course at St Andrews (St Andrews, Fife, Scotland), September 2–3
- 2025 – Cypress Point Club (Pebble Beach, California),[7] September 6–7
References
- "The "Invasion" Begins – American Golfers at Liverpool". The Times. 10 May 1921. p. 10.
- "Golf at Hoylake". The Times. 23 May 1921. p. 4.
- "New Format Twist: Sunday Singles Matches Increase By Two - 2009 Walker Cup Match". USGA. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
- "Walker Cup results". USGA. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
- "Walker Cup Match September 10-11, 2011" (PDF). USGA. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
- "Walker Cup - History". R&A. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
- "Coast to Coast: Seminole, Cypress Point to Host Future Walker Cups". USGA. Retrieved December 16, 2016.