Walker Cup

Walker Cup
Tournament information
Location	2023: St Andrews, Scotland
Established	1922
Course(s)	2023: Old Course at St Andrews
Organized by	The R&A and United States Golf Association
Format	Match play
Month played	September
Current champion
	United States
	2023 Walker Cup

The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested in odd-numbered years by leading male amateur golfers in two teams: United States, and Great Britain and Ireland featuring players from the United Kingdom 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. From 2026 it will be held in even-numbered years following the switch of the Eisenhower Trophy to odd-numbered years to avoid that event clashing with the Olympic Games.^[1] They are held alternately in the U.S., and Ireland or Britain.

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 2023, the U.S. lead the Walker Cup series 39 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 male 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.^[2]

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 M. Hunter, Bobby Jones, Francis Ouimet, J. Wood Platt, Fred Wright. The Americans won the match 9–3.^[3]

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.^[4]

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

Source:^[5]^[6]^[7]

Year	Venue	Winning team	Score		Losing team	Captains
2023	Old Course at St Andrews	United States	141⁄2	111⁄2	Great Britain & Ireland	Mike McCoy Stuart Wilson
2021	Seminole Golf Club	United States	14	12	Great Britain & Ireland	Nathaniel Crosby Stuart Wilson
2019	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	United States	151⁄2	101⁄2	Great Britain & Ireland	Nathaniel Crosby Craig Watson
2017	Los Angeles Country Club	United States	19	7	Great Britain & Ireland	Spider Miller Andy Ingram
2015	Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club	Great Britain & Ireland	161⁄2	91⁄2	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	161⁄2	91⁄2	Great Britain & Ireland	Buddy Marucci Colin Dalgleish
2007	Royal County Down Golf Club	United States	121⁄2	111⁄2	Great Britain & Ireland	Buddy Marucci Colin Dalgleish
2005	Chicago Golf Club	United States	121⁄2	111⁄2	Great Britain & Ireland	Bob Lewis Garth McGimpsey
2003	Ganton Golf Club	Great Britain & Ireland	121⁄2	111⁄2	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	121⁄2	111⁄2	United States	Fred Ridley Geoff Marks
1987	Sunningdale Golf Club	United States	161⁄2	71⁄2	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	131⁄2	101⁄2	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	151⁄2	81⁄2	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	151⁄2	81⁄2	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	81⁄2	31⁄2	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	71⁄2	41⁄2	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	71⁄2	41⁄2	United States	Francis Ouimet John Beck
1936	Pine Valley Golf Club	United States	101⁄2	11⁄2	Great Britain & Ireland	Francis Ouimet William Tweddell
1934	Old Course at St Andrews	United States	91⁄2	21⁄2	Great Britain & Ireland	Francis Ouimet Michael Scott
1932	The Country Club	United States	91⁄2	21⁄2	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	61⁄2	51⁄2	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	61⁄2	51⁄2	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 49 matches, USA has won 39 matches, Great Britain and Ireland have won 9 with 1 match tied.

Future sites

2025 – Cypress Point Club (Pebble Beach, California),^[8] September 6–7
2026 – Lahinch Golf Club (County Clare, Ireland),^[9] September 5–6
2028 – Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Bandon, Oregon)^[10]
2032 – Oakmont Country Club (Oakmont, Pennsylvania)^[11]
2036 – Chicago Golf Club (Wheaton, Illinois)^[12]

From 2026, matches will be held in even-numbered years. Venue for the 2030 event has not yet been announced.^[13]

References

^ "Walker Cup to be contested in even years from 2026". R&A. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
^ "The "Invasion" Begins – American Golfers at Liverpool". The Times. May 10, 1921. p. 10.
^ "Golf at Hoylake". The Times. May 23, 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.
^ "The 51st Walker Cup to be played at Lahinch in 2026". R&A. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
^ Beall, Joel (July 20, 2021). "Bandon Dunes to host 13 USGA championships". Golf Digest. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
^ "Oakmont and Merion Selected for Multiple Future Championships". USGA. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
^ "Chicago G.C. to Host 2033 Women's Open, 2036 Walker Cup". USGA. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
^ "Walker Cup Moving to Even Years Starting in 2026". USGA. Retrieved March 21, 2022.

External links

Official site

[1] "Walker Cup to be contested in even years from 2026". R&A. Retrieved March 21, 2022.

[2] "The "Invasion" Begins – American Golfers at Liverpool". The Times. May 10, 1921. p. 10.

[3] "Golf at Hoylake". The Times. May 23, 1921. p. 4.

[4] "New Format Twist: Sunday Singles Matches Increase By Two - 2009 Walker Cup Match". USGA. Retrieved September 6, 2013.

[5] "Walker Cup results". USGA. Retrieved September 5, 2013.

[6] "Walker Cup Match September 10-11, 2011" (PDF). USGA. Retrieved September 5, 2013.

[7] "Walker Cup - History". R&A. Retrieved September 7, 2013.

[8] "Coast to Coast: Seminole, Cypress Point to Host Future Walker Cups". USGA. Retrieved December 16, 2016.

[9] "The 51st Walker Cup to be played at Lahinch in 2026". R&A. Retrieved July 10, 2023.

[10] Beall, Joel (July 20, 2021). "Bandon Dunes to host 13 USGA championships". Golf Digest. Retrieved July 20, 2021.

[11] "Oakmont and Merion Selected for Multiple Future Championships". USGA. Retrieved August 11, 2021.

[12] "Chicago G.C. to Host 2033 Women's Open, 2036 Walker Cup". USGA. Retrieved November 1, 2022.

[13] "Walker Cup Moving to Even Years Starting in 2026". USGA. Retrieved March 21, 2022.

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