The best women in the world are headed to Pebble Beach for the first time ever in 2023.
The USGA is visiting some of the best golf courses in the world in 2023.
Not only are the men headed to Los Angeles Country Club for the U.S. Open, but the women are visiting the Monterey Peninsula and Pebble Beach Golf Links for the first time ever for the U.S. Women’s Open.
The Walker Cup heads to the Old Course at St. Andrews and for the second year in a row, the Adaptive Open will be played at Pinehurst.
The first one on the schedule is the Latin America Amateur (Jan. 12-15) while the year ends in Abu Dhabi at the World Amateur Team Championship (Oct. 18-21).
The East West Matches bring together some of the best amateurs, mid-ams and senior amateurs in the United States.
In its infancy, the East West Matches is maybe the best amateur golf event you’ve never heard of.
The second playing of the event is set to tee off this weekend, Nov. 4-6.
The brainchild of two-time USGA champion and former Walker Cup participant Scott Harvey, the East West Matches combine some of the best amateurs, mid-ams and senior amateurs in the United States. The Ryder Cup-style event features two amateur players, six senior amateurs and 10 mid-amateur players per side.
The matches are back at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas, where the inaugural Cup was won in dramatic fashion by the West in 2020. In fact, the man that clinched the winning half-point for the West, Patrick Christovich, is back to help the West defend their title.
Captained by 2005 U.S. Mid-Am champion, Kevin Marsh, the West has experience under pressure on its side. Returning Skip Berkmeyer, Derek Busby, Patrick Christovich, Brad Nurski and Robert Funk, the West is armed with a crew that went 9-9-1 and was a large part of the West’s monstrous 23-22 comeback win back in 2020.
In addition, the West has two amateur players ranked inside the top 110 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings — Pepperdine’s Derek Hitchner and Arizona State’s Luke Potter are ranked Nos. 105 and 38 in WAGR, respectively. The two should give a spark of energy to their mid-am and senior-am teammates.
The West celebrates its 23-22 comeback win over the East at the inaugural East West Matches (2020) at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas.
On the East side, there’s a sense of hunger and redemption. The East is also returning five players from their 2020 team. A murderer’s row of amateur golf talent that had a combined 2020 record of 15-4-1 but left Maridoe empty-handed.
Joe Deraney, Jeronimo Esteve, Scott Harvey, Doug Hanzel and Bob Royak look to take down the West this year and stake claim to what they came so close to having two years ago. The strength of the East team lies in both seniors and young gun amateurs.
Both Hanzel and Royak went 4-0-0 in the 2020 Matches. Now they bolster their lineup even more with the addition of Golfweek’s No. 1 ranked senior amateur Rusty Strawn. Tried and true, the colts in the East’s stable of talent are Alabama’s Nick Dunlap and Tennessee’s Caleb Surratt.
Dunlap was Golfweek’s No. 1 ranked recruit in the 2022 class and the 2021 AJGA Boys Golfer of the Year. Surratt is currently ranked No. 15 in WAGR and is the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up.
Who’s running the stable for the East, you ask? That would be two-time Walker Cup captain Nathaniel Crosby.
The East has brought out the big guns, but will they be able to redeem themselves after such a disappointing finish in 2020?
Time will tell and if we learned anything from the inaugural East West Matches, we know that anything can happen over the course of three days at Maridoe Golf Club.
Full Rosters
Mid-Amateurs
East: Andrew Bailey, Evan Beck, Chip Brooke, Mark Costanza, Joe Deraney, Jeronimo Esteve, Scott Harvey, Matt Mattare, Tug Maude, Chad Wilfong
West: Jason Anthony, Skip Berkmeyer, Denny Bull, Derek Busby, Patrick Christovich, Nick Guyer, Colby Harwell, John Hunter, Brad Nurski, John Swain
Senior Amateurs
East: Doug Hanzel, Steve Harwell, Billy Mitchell, Bob Royak, Rusty Strawn, Matt Sughrue
West: Tommy Brennan, Jon Brown, Robert Funk, John McClure, Mike McCoy, Mike Rowley
Amateurs
East: Nick Dunlap (Alabama) & Caleb Surratt (Tennessee)
West: Derek Hitchner (Pepperdine) & Luke Potter (Arizona State)
The USGA is shaking things up regarding who captains the Americans in the next two Walker Cup matches.
The U.S. Golf Association is shaking things up regarding who captains the Americans in the next two Walker Cup matches.
On Wednesday Mike McCoy was announced as the captain for Team USA for the 2023 Walker Cup at the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland. Nathan Smith will lead the squad two years later in the matches at Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, California.
This will be the first time since 1995 that a U.S. Walker Cup captain won’t be at the helm for two matches.
“Given the exceptional nature of the venues, we wanted to give both Mike and Nathan the opportunity to be a part of one of these next two Matches,” said USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer in a statement to Golfweek. “In addition, given the strong and growing list of candidates we have of potential USA Walker Cup Team captains, while historically we have often awarded each both a home and away match, moving forward we feel comfortable providing this opportunity for one match and re-evaluating as needed.”
“Both Mike and Nathan have long, exceptional histories with the USGA and outstanding amateur golf resumes,” said USGA president Stu Francis via a release. “Given the historic nature of the next two matches being staged at St. Andrews and Cypress Point, we wanted to give both of them the time to enjoy this leadership opportunity and plan their next few years accordingly. We congratulate each of them on an honor well deserved and look forward to watching them lead two talented USA Teams.”
McCoy, 59, became the second-oldest winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in 2013, has teed it up in 65 USGA championships and was a member of the 2015 U.S. Walker Cup Team at Royal Lytham & St Annes in England, the third-oldest player to ever compete in the matches.
“I am humbled to be chosen captain of the next USA Walker Cup Team,” said McCoy. “It will again be a privilege to be a part of the Walker Cup competition that I was so fortunate to be a part of in 2015. My experiences with the USGA, and the Walker Cup Match, have provided some of the most unforgettable weeks of my life, and I’m thrilled to build new memories with members of next year’s team. I look forward to the diligent preparation that will be required for the challenge of the Old Course.”
Smith, 43, has competed in 48 USGA championships as well as three consecutive Walker Cups from 2009-2013.
“Historically, I understand that there is no greater honor than being named captain of the USA Walker Cup Team,” said Smith. “I am ecstatic at the opportunity to lead this team at such a historic and storied venue. Providing the winning point for the USA during the 2013 Match is a memory I will never forget, and that accomplished feeling is something I’m focused on providing for the team in 2025.”
The Walker Cup is a biennial amateur event between 10-man teams from the USA against Great Britain and Ireland. Team USA leads the all-time series, 38-9-1.
“Oakmont and Merion are iconic in every sense of the word,” said the USGA’s John Bodenhamer.
OAKMONT, Pa. — Talk about a major announcement.
On Wednesday morning at Oakmont Country Club, host of this week’s 121st U.S. Amateur, the U.S. Golf Association held a press conference to lay out its future plans to continue its commitment to bring both men’s and women’s major championships to the nation’s most iconic venues. Get ready to see a lot more golf in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Oakmont, the famed course near Pittsburgh, will be a second “anchor site” for future USGA championships and will host the U.S. Open in 2025, 2034, 2042 and 2049. Across the state just outside Philadelphia, Merion Golf Club in Ardmore was also awarded the U.S. Open in 2030 and 2050.
Both clubs will also host a handful of U.S. Women’s Opens, allowing the best female golfers in the world to showcase their talents on iconic venues and etch their names in history alongside the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones and more. Oakmont will host in 2028 and 2038 with Merion hosting in 2034 and 2046.
“Oakmont and Merion are iconic in every sense of the word – they’re in rare company in golf and continue to test the best in the game,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director of championships. “We’re making history and kicking off a new era for our national championships in Pennsylvania, and we couldn’t be more excited for what lies ahead.”
But that’s not all.
The 2033 Walker Cup and 2046 U.S. Women’s Amateur will be played at Oakmont. Merion was also previously named the host for the 2022 Curtis Cup and the 2026 U.S. Amateur.
Both Ed Stack, president of Oakmont Country Club, and Buddy Marucci, championship chair for Merion Golf Club and a former U.S. Walker Cup captain, were on hand for the announcement, as well as Pennsylvania Senate Pro Tempore Jake Corman, state Sen. Jay Costa and state Rep. Carrie Lewis DelRosso.
“Our members and all of Pittsburgh are so excited to host the USGA and the best players in the game at Oakmont, which we believe is one of the most exacting tests of golf anywhere in the world,” said Stack. “It is the perfect venue to identify the best golfers around the globe, in concert with the USGA’s mission for championship golf. The new champions that will be crowned over the next 30 years will join a distinguished list of past champions and etch their names in golf history. We are proud and humbled to showcase Oakmont Country Club, Pittsburgh, and the State of Pennsylvania with a number of USGA championships through 2049.”
Added Marucci, “Starting with its formation, the desire to host significant championships has been at Merion’s core. It is no wonder Merion has hosted more USGA championships than any other club in America. Our friendship with the USGA dates to its first decade and has produced some of the most incredible moments in golf history. We are thrilled to celebrate those moments by announcing four more Open championships, and we look forward to bringing the best players in the world to compete on Hugh Wilson’s timeless masterpiece.”
A view of the 15th hole at Merion from the side of the tee box.
Future USGA championships in Pennsylvania
Oakmont Country Club
2021 U.S. Amateur*
2025 U.S. Open*
2028 U.S. Women’s Open
2033 Walker Cup Match
2034 U.S. Open
2038 U.S. Women’s Open
2042 U.S. Open
2046 U.S. Women’s Amateur
2049 U.S. Open
Merion Golf Club
2022 Curtis Cup Match*
2026 U.S. Amateur*
2030 U.S. Open
2034 U.S. Women’s Open
2046 U.S. Women’s Open
2050 U.S. Open
Auburn men’s golf head coach Nick Clinard announced Friday the hiring of new assistant coach Chris Williams.
Auburn men’s golf head coach Nick Clinard announced Friday the hiring of new assistant coach Chris Williams.
Williams previously served as assistant coach at Marquette University from 2019-2021. There he oversaw the development of the the program’s career scoring average leader, Hunter Eichhorn. Eichhorn was named the Big East’s Player of the Year as well as PING All-American. Williams also made huge strides for the Golden Eagles on the recruiting trail by signing a pair of top-60 nationally ranked recruits.
Collegiately Williams played for the University of Washington where he was a four-time All-American from 2009-2013. Williams led the Huskies in scoring from 2010-2013 after six tournament victories and 28 top-10 finishes.
After finishing ninth overall in the NCAA Championship Williams earned the title of PAC-10 Freshman of the Year and won the Mickelson Award which is delegated to the nation’s top freshman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtO9S6gxqyQ
As a junior he finished first in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for which he received the Mark H. McCormick Medal presented on behalf of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. Williams’ tenure in the top spot of the ranking spanned 46 weeks before he began his senior season.
As a senior Williams received the Ben Hogan Award which the NCAA bestows annually to college golf’s best performer.
In 2011 Williams golfed for Team USA in the Walker Cup and Palmer Cup. The following year he participated once again in the Palmer Cup as well as the World Amateur and in 2013 he competed in Copa De American.
ARDMORE, PA – JUNE 12: Amateur Chris Williams of the United States htis a tee shot during a practice round prior to the start of the 113th U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club on June 12, 2013 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Williams began his professional career in 2013 with contests in Canada’s Mackenzie Tour and Latin America’s PGA Tour. His 2013 top amateur appearance in the U.S. Open was his second as Williams’ first came two years before after he secured a spot with a win in a sectional qualifying event.
Coach Clinard was elated to welcome Williams to Auburn saying,
“I’m super excited to have Chris join us in our Auburn family. His pedigree from a golf standpoint speaks for itself as the former No. 1 amateur in the world and a participant in the 2011 Walker Cup. Playing professionally and being in that limelight will bring a lot to our team and to recruiting as well. He’s got a great eye for talent and he knows how to develop young people. He will be a tremendous asset to our program and our quest to win championships.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAu34srBhAQ
Williams feels “blessed” to be at Auburn and detailed his excitement and vision for his future with the program,
“I want to thank Coach Clinard and Auburn University for giving me the opportunity and taking a chance on me. I feel extremely blessed to be welcomed into the Auburn family and the culture that has been established. I’m very excited to be part of the successful golf program at Auburn and continue on the success that Coach Clinard has had during his tenure. I’m committed to helping the program continue to move in the right direction. I’m eager to invest in the student-athletes, help them reach their potential on and off the course and start competing for and winning national championships.”
Welcome to The Plains Coach Williams, and War Eagle!
Seminole, with its faster-than-lightning-quick greens and doesn’t-seem-like-in-you’re-Florida elevation changes, was made-for-TV golf.
JUNO BEACH, Fla. — As soon as the final putt was conceded and hats were taken off for the last time after two glorious days of golf at revered Seminole Golf Club, the question became obvious Sunday.
When is the Walker Cup coming back to Seminole Golf Club?
Not as quick as you think. Or prefer.
“That’s a question for another (USGA) board and (Seminole) president,” U.S. captain Nathaniel Crosby, a longtime Seminole member, said after leading the Americans to a 14-12 victory over Great Britain-Ireland.
“It’s a perfect event for Seminole. But you have to remember this: Cypress Point hosted its first Walker Cup in 1979, and it’s not getting its second chance until 2025. It’s not like this is a U.S. Open rotation, where it can come back every six or eight years.”
No, the Walker Cup is held on U.S. soil only once every four years and there are other classic courses – Pine Valley, which recently announced it will allow female members, for instance – that will be ahead of Seminole.
It took 99 years of the Walker Cup for Seminole to finally play host. Safe to say it won’t take another 99 years.
It proved to be worth the wait. Seminole, situated hard on the Atlantic Ocean, with its faster-than-lightning-quick greens, ever-changing winds and doesn’t-seem-like-you’re-in-Florida elevation changes, was made-for-TV golf.
“Seminole was the star this week,” NBC/Golf Channel golf analyst Paul Azinger said. “I knew it would look good on TV. I didn’t know it would look this good.”
The Donald Ross-designed golf course has always had this allure to it, in part because the members love their privacy as much as their golf. For years, Seminole resisted opportunities to host USGA or other outside events (last year’s TaylorMade Driving Relief pandemic event doesn’t really count).
That changed when Jimmy Dunne became Seminole’s president in 2012. He believed it was the club’s responsibility to help amateur golf by hosting an event such as the Walker Cup.
Golf fans’ first peek at Seminole at last year’s TaylorMade event wasn’t a fair one because it rained several inches the night before and it was calm. Not Seminole conditions, in other words.
Even with Seminole having to be shut down three times last Thursday because of storms, the course took little time to regain its teeth for the Walker Cup.
“We were actually worried Thursday night after all the rain,” Dunne said Sunday. “It turns out that was a good thing because with the wind and the lack of humidity the last two days, it would have really played tough.”
Golf fans were treated to plenty of looks at Seminole’s two closing holes that are as tough as any in golf – the par-3 17th and the par-4 18th than run next to the ocean. Incredibly, 14 of the 26 matches reached the 18th and five others got as far as the 17th.
The other 16 holes aren’t pushovers, either. Ben Hogan, who spent most of his winters at Seminole, said the par-4 sixth hole was his favorite.
The beauty of the course is that it never plays the same. We also got to see why Seminole’s members use their own statistic – greens visited in regulation.
When will we see Seminole again?
“I know I won’t be the one to make that call, but I hope we do,” Dunne said. “Whoever that man is, he can call me, and I’ll tell him what a great event it is and we should do it again.”
Great Britain & Ireland has an opportunity to stage a rally on foreign soil at storied Seminole Golf Club.
JUNO BEACH, Fla. – Two years ago, the U.S. team overcame a 7-5 deficit to win the Walker Cup on foreign soil. Sunday, Great Britain-Ireland gave itself an opportunity to stage a similar rally at storied Seminole Golf Club.
GB&I won two foursomes matches and halved another with an incredible comeback Sunday morning to pull within 8 ½-7 ½ of the heavily-favored Americans entering Sunday’s 10 singles matches.
Angus Flanagan and Ben Schmidt were four down after eight holes, but won the last two holes – with a par and a bogey – to earn a crucial half point with a halve against Cole Hammer and Davis Thompson. Hammer and Thompson were hurt by two bad lies near bunkers on 17 and 18, which led to a bogey and double bogey.
“It was Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride today,” said U.S. captain Nathaniel Crosby Jr. “We lost the last two holes (in the final match) with two tragic lies. It’s going to be nip and tuck, that’s for sure.”
[vertical-gallery id=778103013]
The U.S. still has the lead, and the belief it will dominate singles play. In the last seven Walker Cups, the Americans have enjoyed a 28-point advantage over GB&I in singles.
Yet this GB&I squad has been resilient all week. No doubt Sunday morning’s finish gave them a shot of momentum as they try to win on U.S. soil for the first time in the last five matches.
“We are getting better each session handling the golf course,” GB&I captain Stuart Wilson said. “We want them to embrace the pressure and use it as a positive thing.”
Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Tyler Strafaci made his long-awaited Walker Cup debut Sunday after being taken to the hospital Saturday with a stomach virus that has plagued both teams this week. Strafaci’s start didn’t go well – he and veteran Stewart Hagestad were soundly beaten by Jack Dyer and Matty Lamb, 6 and 5.
Ricky Castillo is the only American to go 3-0. He partnered with William Mouw for a 1-up win over Andrew Fitzpatrick and Barclay Brown. Trailing 1 up on the par-4 16th tee, Castillo drilled a drive within 40 yards of the green and made the 10-foot birdie putt to draw even. Mauw’s par putt at the 17th gave them the lead.
“I knew I could get it up close (to the green) and give Will a chance to hit it close,” said Castillo, a sophomore at Florida. “I knew I had to make it, and I made it.”
GB&I’s Mark Power matched the 3-0 start of Castillo. John Murphy hit a clutch approach at the 18th hole, enabling him and Power to beat Pierceson Coody and John Pak, 1 up. The Irish duo were 2-0 in foursomes.
“I couldn’t think of a better person to play with than John,” Power said. “If we’re having fun and enjoying ourselves, good golf comes from that. That shot he hit into the last hole, the 5-iron, it’s hard to describe how good that was.”
The late halve was the only time in the first 16 matches there wasn’t a winner.
The U.S. team, which leads the series 37-9-1, needs 13 points to retain the cup. GB&I needs 13 ½ to win the Cup.
After sitting the morning session due to illness, Team USA’s Pierceson Coody rallied from a 2-down deficit to earn a big scalp in downing Alex Fitzpatrick of GB&I.
JUNO BEACH, Fla. – When Pierceson Coody woke up at 9 a.m. ET, nearly an hour after the first match of the morning foursomes got underway at the 48th Walker Cup, he enjoyed his first full meal in 38 hours.
Coody was one of several competitors who needed medical attention after contracting a stomach bug that required a trip to the hospital for observation and an IV of fluids.
“We couldn’t even lay in our beds,” he said. “It was a really weird feeling, a really down feeling… Ever since I started my college career, this is all I wanted to do.”
Coody, 21, of Plano, Texas, recuperated quickly enough to live his dream. He batted leadoff for Team USA in the afternoon singles session and rallied from an early 2-down deficit to defeat Great Britain & Ireland’s top gun Alex Fitzpatrick, 2 up.
“It was really easy to get going,” Coody said. “It went as smoothly as it could, as sick as we all were a couple days ago.”
[vertical-gallery id=778103013]
This wasn’t Coody’s first rodeo with a stomach bug while competing in a USGA championship. He suffered from food poisoning at the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, losing 14-15 pounds in two days, and also dealt with mononucleosis as a freshman at Texas.
“I’m not surprised in the least,” said Cole Hammer, Coody’s teammate at Texas. “He’s one of the most competitive guys I’ve ever been around.”
Coody started sluggishly, losing two of the first four holes to birdies by Fitzpatrick, a 22-year-old Englishman who plays for Wake Forest University and is the younger brother of PGA Tour pro Matt Fitzpatrick. Coody described the club as feeling “a little light,” and it reminded the Texas junior of playing for the NCAA National Championship as a freshman. That experience prepared him to handle the nerves.
As his grandpa, 1971 Masters champion Charlie Coody put it, “He’s a fighter. He got 2 down and he never gave up.”
Coody battled back with birdies at Nos. 7 and 9, the latter a nifty up-and-down for birdie at the par 5.
“To get to be even at the turn was huge,” Coody said.
He kept momentum by holing a tricky 8-foot par putt at 10 to halve the hole, lost the 11th to a Fitzpatrick birdie before hitting “three perfect shots” at 12 to square the match. It stayed that way until the par-3 17th when Fitzpatrick’s bunker shot slid off the green and he made double bogey. Coody closed it out with a beautiful approach from the Seminole driving range and a conceded birdie to win the battle of the good golf gene pool.
Coody, who won two of the oldest amateur golf competitions in the country – the 116th Trans-Mississippi Amateur and the 118th Western Amateur — had his grandfather in attendance, watching on television from the Victory Club.
“The things he’s accomplished in golf is everything that I want to be able to accomplish, so having him come to my tournaments is amazing,” Pierceson said. “It’s really special.”
When the former Masters champion was asked if he ever played in the Walker Cup, he deadpanned, “I wasn’t good enough.”
As for wearing white pants like his grandson and Team USA had today, the elder Coody said that he usually opted for a different shade because of the habit of his black Golf Pride grips to stain them. What advice has young Coody gathered from his major-winning grandpa?
“I’ve kind of been asked to stay away a little bit, so I obey the instructions,” Coody said. “He’s got a lot of natural ability, so I just let that natural ability take hold.”
What little advice Coody has gleaned from his grandpa is of the simplest nature.
“The only advice he gives me is 3 is better than 4, 4 is better than 5 and never give up,” Coody said.
There was plenty of fight from Coody on Saturday and if he follows his grandpa’s other sage advice – 3 is definitely better than 4 – he should be in good stead for 36 holes on Sunday.
As a stomach virus ripped through Walker Cup, forcing four alternates to play, a feisty Great Britain and Ireland team is hanging tough.
JUNO BEACH. Fla. – It takes a strong stomach to play in the pressures of a Walker Cup.
Unfortunately for the 48th Walker Cup at Seminole Golf Club, that adage has proven to be true literally.
The gastro-intestinal issues that have hit more than 15 players on the U.S. and Great Britain and Ireland teams this week became more dramatic Saturday when reigning U.S. Amateur champion Tyler Strafaci had to withdraw from his singles match after he became sick on the range and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
Strafaci, who plans on turning professional next week, had built his year’s schedule by concluding his amateur career at the Walker Cup. After receiving fluids and three IVs, Strafaci returned to Seminole and hugged his replacement, William Mouw, after Mouw’s 4-and-3 win over Ben Jones.
“It was tough,” Strafaci said. “I wanted to come out and compete. I’ve been preparing for this my entire life. But I just couldn’t walk 18 holes. (Mouw) got the job done and I feel a lot better about it.”
Strafaci’s withdrawal – one of four players to be replaced Saturday for health reasons – overshadowed a day when the heavily-favored U.S. struggled to a 7-5 lead over feisty GB&I. The Americans won 5-of-8 singles matches in glorious conditions at picturesque Seminole.
This is not the walkover most expected. The average world amateur ranking for the U.S. team is 15, compared to 66 for GBI.
[vertical-gallery id=778103013]
“I think the guys have a lot of self-belief, and I don’t see why that should change,” said GB&I’s Jake Bolton, an alternate who helped his team win a foursomes match after replacing star Joe Long. “We’re all good players, and we all deserve to be here, so we’re going to give it our best shot.”
Both teams had to go to alternates for the first time in the Walker Cup’s 99-year history. The only reason alternates were on site this year was due to COVID-19 precautions.
Alternates Mac Meissner of the U.S. also was subbed into Saturday morning foursomes matches and led his team to a win.
Because of the stomach virus affecting both teams, the USGA changed its rules so the captains could delay announcing their foursomes and singles lineup. USGA officials ruled out COVID-19 and food poisoning as the cause. Strafaci is expected to play Sunday.
“It’s been bizarre for a lot of reasons,” said U.S. captain Nathaniel Crosby Jr., who also had to be hospitalized this week. “I think we have a one-up lead on guys who got sick this week (eight U.S. players to seven for GBI).
“Hat’s off to the USGA for being flexible. You don’t want to put guys out there who are sick and ask them to play 36 holes. It’s amazing we’re playing at all.”
The Americans dominated the morning foursomes matches and had a chance to take a 3 ½-½ lead until GBI roared back to flip a match and halve another one. The morning session ended in a 2-2 tie as all four matches went to the 18th hole for the first time since 1983.
The U.S. team, hoping to win on home soil for the fifth consecutive time, jumped to an afternoon lead. Florida sophomore Ricky Castillo won 5-and-3 over Ben Schmidt and Cole Hammer defeated John Murphy, 3-and-1, to both go 2-0 on Saturday.
“We were dropping like dominoes for a while,” Hammer said. “It’s not been easy. But we have handled adversity this week.”
Earlier, Hammer slammed home a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to help him and partner Davis Thompson eke out a 1-up victory over Alex Fitzpatrick and Barclay Brown. Castillo and Meissner, pressed into action because of John Pak’s illness, defeated John Dyer and Matty Lamb, 2-up.
Mark Power was the lone GB&I player to go 2-0 Saturday. He defeated Davis Thompson, 3-and-2, after teaming with John Murphy for a 1-up victory over Quade Cummins and Austin Eckroat.
Pierceson Coody, grandson of former Masters champion Charles Coody, edged Alex Fitzpatrick, the younger brother of world No.17 Matthew Fitzpatrick, 2-up.
GB&I’s Barclay Brown beat John Pak, 2-and-1 and U.S’s Eckroat won two late holes for a 1-up victory over Angus Ferguson.
The U.S. team, which leads the series 37-9-1, needs 13 points to retain the cup. GBI needs 13 ½ to win the Cup. There are four foursomes matches and 10 singles matches Sunday.
Tyler Strafaci withdrew from his Walker Cup match on Saturday after becoming sick on driving range with a stomach virus.
JUNO BEACH, FLA. – Tyler Strafaci decided to wait until next week to turn professional because he wanted to play in the 48th Walker Cup at Seminole Golf Club.
But Strafaci had to withdraw from his singles match just before his tee time Saturday when he became the latest golfer to be hit by the stomach virus that has marred this Walker Cup. The reigning U.S. Amateur champion was scheduled to play Ben Jones at 3:03 p.m. ET when he had to withdraw after becoming sick on the range.
“(Tyler missing the Walker Cup) is the least of my concerns,” Tyler’s father, Frank, said a short while later. “I’m following an ambulance that’s going to the hospital.”
The USGA said Strafaci was receiving fluids at a local hospital.
At least 15 players on the U.S. and Great Britain and Ireland teams have gotten sick this week from what USGA officials said was a gastro-intestinal issues (not COVID-19 or food poisoning). U.S. captain Nathaniel Crosby Jr. had to be hospitalized this week, as well.
[vertical-gallery id=778103013]
Both teams had to go to alternates for the first time in the Walker Cup’s 99-year history because of the virus. The only reason the alternates were on site this year was due to COVID-19 precautions.
Two alternates, Mac Meissner of the U.S. and Jake Bolton of GB&I, were subbed into Saturday morning foursomes matches and led their teams to a win. Strafaci was replaced by William Mouw. GB&I also replaced Joe Long with Matty Lamb in a singles match.
Because of the stomach virus affecting both teams, the USGA changed its rules so the captains could delay announcing their foursomes and singles lineup until late Friday night and midday Saturday, respectively.
“It’s been bizarre for a lot of reasons,” Crosby, a Seminole member, said before Strafaci’s WD. “I think we have a one-up lead on guys who got sick this week (eight U.S. players to seven for GB&I).
“Hat’s off to the USGA for being flexible. You don’t want to put guys out there who are sick and ask them to play 36 holes.”
Strafaci is scheduled to make his professional debut this upcoming week at the PGA Tour’s AT&T Byron Nelson Classic.
