Walker Cup

By Brent Kelley, About.com Guide

The Walker Cup trophy is one all the competitors hope to get their hands on.

Jamie Squire / Gatty Images

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About the Walker Cup Match:

The Walker Cup Match, as it is formally known, is played every other year by teams of amateur male golfers representing the United States and Great Britain & Ireland (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland). The USGA and the R&A cosanction the event; the USGA selects the U.S. team and the R&A selects the GB&I squad. There are 10 golfers on each team.

The Walker Cup has been officially played since 1922 and is named after George Herbert Walker, who presented the first plan for the competition and donated the trophy in 1920.

The U.S. leads the series, 34-8-1.

2013 Walker Cup
• When: Sept. 7-8
• Where: National Golf Links of America, Southampton, N.Y.

2011 Walker Cup
Final Score: GB&I 14, USA 12
GB&I built up a 5-point lead heading into the final singles session, then held on for a 2-point win. Paul Cutler lead GB&I with 3.5 points, while Rhys Pugh went 3-0-0. More info

2011 Team Rosters
• USA: Patrick Cantlay, Harris English, Russell Henley, Patrick Rodgers, Nathan Smith, Chris Williams, Peter Uihlein, Blayne Barber, Kelly Kraft, Jordan Spieth
• GB&I: Steven Brown, James Byrne, Paul Cutler, Alan Dunbar, Stiggy Hodgson, Tom Lewis, Rhys Pugh, Jack Senior, Michael Stewart, Andy Sullivan

Official Walker Cup Web site

2009 Walker Cup
Final Score: USA 16.5, Great Britain & Ireland 9.5 (click to view match results)
Rickie Fowler and Peter Uihlein went 4-0 to lead Team USA to its biggest victory over Team GB&I since 1997. It was the Americans' third straight win.

Walker Cup Format:

The Walker Cup Match is a two-day competition, split each day between foursomes (alternate shot) and singles play. On Day 1, four foursomes matches are played in the morning, followed by eight singles matches in the afternoon (which means that two of 10 team members are sitting out each session for each side). On Day 2, it's four morning foursomes followed by 10 afternoon singles.

Points are awarded to the winners of each match. Matches that are tied after completion of the 18th hole are halved, with each side receiving a half-point.

Future Sites:

• 2013: National Golf Links of America, Southampton, New York
• 2015: Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, England
• 2017: Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club

Walker Cup Records:

Overall Match Standings
U.S. leads GB&I, 34-8-1

Most Walker Cups Played
• GB&I - 11, Joseph B. Carr (1947-49-51-53-55-57-59-61-63-65-67); 9, Michael Bonallack
• U.S. - 9, Jay Sigel (1977-79-81-83-85-87-89-91-93); 8, Francis Ouimet, William C. Campbell

Largest Winning Margin, 18-Hole Match
• Singles - 9 and 7, Scott Hoch, U.S., def. James Buckley, GB&I, 1979
• Foursomes - 7 and 6, Bob Lewis Jr./Jim Holtgrieve, U.S., def. Malcolm Lewis/Martin Thompson, GB&I, 1983; Bryce Molder/David Eger, U.S., def. Steven O'Hara/Marc Warren, GB&I, 2001

Undefeated in Singles
(Minimum 4 matches)
Bobby Jones, U.S., 5-0-0
Luke Donald, GB&I, 4-0-0
William C. Campbell, U.S., 7-0-1
Phil Mickelson, U.S., 3-0-1

Undefeated, Untied in Singles/Foursomes
(Min. 4 matches)
6-0 - E. Harvie Ward Jr., U.S.
5-0 - Donald Cherry, U.S.
4-0 - Paul Casey, GB&I; Danny Edwards, U.S.; Brad Elder, U.S.; John Fought, U.S.; Watts Gunn, U.S.; Scott Hoch, U.S.; Lindy Miller, U.S.; Jack Nicklaus, U.S.; Andrew Oldcorn, GB&I; Robert Riegel, U.S.; Frank Taylor, U.S.; Sam Urzetta, U.S.; O.F. Willing, U.S.

Most Overall Wins
18 - Jay Sigel, U.S.
11 - William C. Campbell, U.S.
11 - Billy Patton, U.S.

Walker Cup Trivia and Match Notes:

Onetime USGA president George Herbert Walker, after whom the Walker Cup is named, was the grandfather of U.S. President George H.W. Bush, and the great-grandfather of U.S. President George W. Bush.
Two matches played between the U.S. and Canada in 1919 and 1920 served as the original inspiration for the Walker Cup. The USGA announced a competition in 1921 and invited all nations to send teams, but no other teams showed up.
The Walker Cup was first played in 1922 after the R&A announced it would send a team to compete against the Americans. After that, the competition was open only to U.S. and GB&I teams.

At the first Walker Cup in 1922, the GB&I team fell a player short due to illness. Famous golf writer Bernard Darwin, covering the event for The Times of London newspaper, hastily joined the GB&I team - and even won his singles match.
The U.S. won the first nine Walker Cups played. The GB&I team finally claimed its first victory in 1938, the 10th Walker Cup.
Bobby Jones was the captain of the U.S. side in 1928 and 1930, and Francis Ouimet captained every competition for the U.S. from 1932 through 1949.

The Old Course at St. Andrews has hosted the Walker Cup Match eight times (1923, 1926, 1934, 1938, 1947, 1955, 1971, 1975), by far the most times of any course.

Walker Cup Results
2011 - Great Britain & Ireland 14, United States 12
2009 - United States 16.5, Great Britain & Ireland 9.5
2007 - United States 12.5, Great Britain & Ireland, 11.5
2005 - United States 12.5, Great Britain & Ireland 11.5
2003 - Great Britain & Ireland 12.5, United States 11.5
View all Walker Cup Results