A Few Ways The Walker Cup Could Improve
Two automatic spots from continental Europe, Friday four-balls, and other tweaks would in no way undermine the purpose of the biennial matches.
I know. Picky. Picky. Picky.
The 50th match delivered a spectacular success as both a competition and a captivating visual spectacle.
Who would dare dampen the mood by going straight to quibbles less than 48 hours after the last putt dropped? Guilty as charged.
These suggestions are not new ideas to the organizers, who have probably kicked a few of them around. Many have been inspired by questions posed to the organizers. Maybe to the point of modest annoyance that engenders the dreaded shaking head before the question is even finished. Apologies in advance.
Include all of Europe, with a nod to the match origin.
Before the Harris Tweed Society of Greater Fife types start clutching their Saint Andrew saltires and hurling empty Scotch glasses at Freddie Tait and Nails’ portrait, remember this: the Walker Cup was established to stimulate interest in golf via spirited competition on both sides of the Atlantic, all while engendering international friendship and understanding between the USGA and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club.
As Gordon Simmonds reminds us in Golf’s Finest Contest, “When the matches for the Walker Cup began, the Treaty of Versailles was only three years old, the rebuilding of a war-torn Europe was underway, heavily reliant upon the economic support of a booming America, and the game of golf in Britain and America was predominantly the preserve of the educated and/or well-to-do.”
Okay, some things haven’t changed.
But a great deal has occurred since the first official match in 1922. Heck, the Royal and Ancient even finally budged on Welsh golfers when it suited them. Like the Johnsons of Rock Ridge eventually caving and taking in the Irish, it would be a natural evolution of the matches to make golfers from all of continental Europe eligible. Just as the Ryder Cup has benefited from expansion, so would the Walker Cup. In modest fashion.
Just as both sides have agreed to rely on the World Amateur Golf Ranking to select teams—another argument for another day—and just as each side selects one mid-amateur in an understanding that has worked out well, the time has come to inspire golfers from all over the continent. Perhaps there would be two automatic spots from GB&I and another two from Europe, leaving six Captain’s selections. Going by the latest WAGR, this would have put Filip Jakubcik (Czech Republic) and Gunnlaugur Arni Sveinsson (Iceland) on the team. Michael Alexander Mjaaseth (Norway) and Tim Wiedemeyer (Germany) might have made the team as picks. The rest of the roster probably would have been made up of worthy GB&I players based on the current ranking. The matches still would have been spectacular and certainly more of an international gathering.
Oh, and control of the competition and venue selection can also remain relegated to Great Britain and Ireland. That should keep the Royal clubs happy.
Publish a dedicated points list more prominently and hold Captain press conferences to announce the selections.
The Walker Cup does not need to become the Ryder Cup or within shouting distance of its bombast and spats. But the Walker Cup does need more attention leading up to the matches in order to build anticipation and basic awareness. I was staggered by how many serious golf fans did not know the matches were this year, despite the once-in-a-lifetime chance to see high-level golf at Cypress Point featuring one player who was regularly contending in PGA Tour events this summer (Jackson Koivun). He has remained an amateur (whatever that is these days) to play the Walker Cup, the Masters (if he gets a McCormick medal-inspired invite), and to contend for another NCAA Championship. I get that the logoed-crest jacket crowd wants to keep the event to themselves (made clear to the plebeians by Friday’s strange flex sending ticketholders at 1 p.m. while practice was still taking place on the course).
The world has changed. We know from the Masters and Ryder Cup that a gradual “race” to qualify is as much a nice thing to track as it is a classic marketing tool to build interest. A dedicated points list updated regularly, followed by a Captain's press conference to explain the selections made by each side, does not seem like a big ask.
Enough with the home team’s early arrival.
The teams convened on the Friday prior to the matches. The United States, which did not have to travel from overseas, appeared to have done all of its prep work by Thursday and was bouncing off the walls by the time crowds arrived. They were understandably less enthused about playing many holes on Friday ahead of a busy weekend featuring four sessions in two days. The GB&I team took Tuesday off in an attempt to peak by the weekend. Thankfully, they played more holes than expected and gave the fans in attendance on Friday something to watch before being asked to leave. On Friday morning, the USA teed off as a ceremonial tensome, played a few holes, then weirdly went over to the ocean holes to play those under the watchful eye of former President George W. Bush. Would they have played any holes Friday if not for the presence of a former President, whose great-grandfather donated the trophy (as 43 joked in his speech)? Probably not. They can roll into Bandon Dunes on Sunday in September, 2028
Four-ball Friday.