Weekend Wrap - Walker Cup Nailbiter Edition

OK, I for one watched way too much sports this weekend....not least the above-referenced visit to Cypress Point Club.  Do we think anyone from AT&T tuned in and maybe had a thought as to how to improve their event?  I mean, Signature status is all well and good, though I can think of something that might draw more viewers than Patrick Cantlay.  I think we can all agree that Jack knows best:

"Pebble Beach and Cypress Point make you want to play... Spyglass Hill—that's different; that makes you want to go fishing"

Or watch football.

Cypress Point's Close-Up -  I didn't notice a single wrinkle or any crows feet, did you?  Dubbed by Sandy Tatum as the "Sistine Chapel of Golf", it looked sublime and perhaps played even better, as the ball had plenty of release and the youngsters proved quite adept at using the contours to their advantage.

Geoff has had daily posts from on site, so over to him for the lede:

The fog rolled in, and out went Great Britain & Ireland's dreams of pulling off an upset on American soil.

As brilliant sunshine gave way to more typical Cypress Point weather, the United States began revving up its traditional Sunday singles brilliance. By pulling away down the stretch in five of the first six matches while securing another half-point in a feisty battle of 18-year-old bucks Mason Howell and Connor Graham, the United States prevailed 17 to 9 in the 50th Walker Cup.

The matches were much closer than the final eight-point differential suggests. Only 90 minutes prior to the clincher, USA held narrow leads in seven matches with only a pair of the leads better than 1UP. And those two matches stood at a mere 2UP.

Geoff is being kind, as the U.S. rout in singles has become inevitable.  When I turned on Golf Channel before the coverage window, those 1 Up leads were already achieved.  yes, they were only 1 or 2 Up, but they all went the same direction, to wit, red (even though the U.S. was in blue on Sunday).

This is a wonderful event that's played its own unique role in golf history, although perhaps slightly less so in modern times.  Back in the day it was huge, older and far more important in many ways than the more famous Ryder Cup.  For instance, without the Walker Cup, Bobby Jones may not have even been able to dream of his Impregnable Quadrilateral, as he needed the USGA to pay his travel expenses to the 1930 Walker Cup at Royal St. Georges in order to be there for the Amateur at St. Andrews and the Open Championship at Hoylake.

But the one aspect we can't sweep under the rug is the competitiveness of the event, as the U.S. simply dominates against an outmanned GB&I team.  The obvious answer would be to channel that Nicklaus guy and add continental Europe to GB&I as was done in the professional event, although your humble blogger would miss the GB&I designation.  

Back to Geoff:

“I'm just blown away,” said USA captain Nathan Smith. “They showed up all weekend, in both singles matches in the afternoon, and I don't know if I've ever seen a Walker Cup team bring it like they did this afternoon in singles.”

The United States won 8.5 of the 10 points available in the final of four sessions. The Americans’ ability to read Cypress Point’s poa annua greens—they’d played the course nearly ten times since convening over a week prior—led to several huge makes and those definitive, slightly excessive celebrations that have come to define team USA while holding GB&I back from a third win on U.S. soil.

“We fought hard,” said GB&I Captain Dean Robertson. “Our foursomes performances were exceptional. But for a few putts, I think the big difference for us is we need to be better putters.

“But Nathan's team, big congratulations to them. They've played fantastic.”

Historians wanting to know how this election was called: Stewart Hagestad’s 4&3 win over Elliot Baker assured the Americans no worse than a cup-retaining tie. A few minutes later, Preston Stout’s 2&1 win over Luke Poulter ensured a victorious Sunday at Cypress Point.

That photo gives a sense of the marine layer that moved in Sunday afternoon, making the iconic 16th hole a blind shot....literally.

The old guy rocks:

Hagestad’s clinching of the Cup’s retention adds to the four-time winner’s incredible resume and

his inevitable first ballot status as a Cup legend in an era when teams are comprised largely of acne-prone types. The southern California native and “mid-amateur” great works as a broker for BDT & MSD Partners who gave him the time off to go 2-1. A pair of dominant victories in singles—7&5 and 4&3—moved his all-time record to 7-1 in singles play. Hagestad joins Charlie Coe at 10th on all-time points with eight.

It's a gift to GB&I to allocate a slot to a Mid-Am, although that record argues otherwise.  But who doesn't love a Charlie Coe callout?  If Jay Sigel wasn't the greatest amateur ever, then it was Charlie Coe, who won the 1958 U.S. Amateur and made it back to the 36 hole final in 1959 at the Broadmoor, only to meet up with this Nicklaus kid.  Jack always said that beating Charlie Coe was the most important step in his golf evolution, confirming that he could hang with the best.  That 1959 Amateur win got jack into the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills, and if he thought competing with Charlie Coe was cool, what must he have thought of his final 36-hole pairing at that Open?

 I agree with Geoff that any lingering hope was largely extinguished by that key foursomes turnaround:

Great Britain & Ireland missed a monumental chance to make the Americans a bit more squeamish heading into Singles. Foursomes kicked off with an opening rematch featuring Connor Graham and Tyler Weaver facing off against Jackson Koivun and Tommy Morrison. The visiting team led from the ninth to 16th holes before losing the last two holes, allowing USA to enjoy a one-point lead over lunch instead of trailing by a point.

That was really quite the shame, because they had beaten that top U.S. team on Saturday and had things their way most of Sunday morning, only to drop-kick it into the Pacific.  But Geoff also had this curious bit, frustrating the last 'graph before ducking behind a paywall:

The morning foursomes also featured the week’s best hole-out and the weekend’s only sportsmanship embarrassment in a brilliant display befitting of the event’s heritage.

Hmmm, maybe I should have popped for access to Geoff's full posts?  I did see one of the GB&I players, possibly Connor Graham, kind of lose it after a bad drive on the quirky (Hey, I used a nice word) 18th hole, and then do exactly the same in singles.  Seems there were likely some F-bombs  and the like, not the best look for sure, although we do understand the pressure they put on themselves.  

However, to the extent that we're down on Connor Howell for his reaction to his tee shot on No. 18, let me add that I very much liked how he handled things on the 18th green in singles.  He had frustratingly missed his par putt for a chance to win the match, then Mason Howell missed his downhill par putt, which trickled 3-4 feet by.  He had every right to see it, but with the outcome no longer in doubt he graciously conceded Howell's putt.  It's not exactly Nicklaus-Jacklin, but a nice moment that Notah Begay noted on the broadcast.

The best news is that, thanks to Covid, we don't have to wait two years to do this again.  As you know, the USGA and R&A have been hitting it out of the park with venues.  I don't know how you top the last three (Seminole, The Old Course and Cypress Point), but this list doesn't suck:

2026 – Lahinch Golf Club (County Clare, Ireland)
2028 – Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
2030 – Prince's Golf Club (Sandwich, England)
2032 – Oakmont Country Club (Oakmont, Pennsylvania)
2036 – Chicago Golf Club (Wheaton, Illinois)[13]
2044 – Pine Valley Golf Club (Pine Valley, New Jersey)

Not a bad one to be found.  Chicago Golf Club is only the first 18-hole course built in the U.S., but Prince's might be the most surprising choice, having hosted the 1932 Open Championship.

But talk about a cruel streak.  The USGA decides to take a Walker Cup to Pine Valley, but they can't be bothered doing so during my life expectancy?  That earns a double middle-finger salute.

Lastly, this week's Tour Confidential panel took on this very issue:

Team USA won the Walker Cup on Sunday at Cypress Point Club, beating GB&I 17-9. While we got a chance to see several potential future stars, we also got a glimpse of Cypress Point, GOLF’s second-round course in the world. How important are venues for amateur events like this? And where else would you like to see a Walker Cup go?

Berhow: For all the regular PGA Tour events and majors that stop at venues that do little to excite the average fan, the Walker Cup gets it right. Old Course two years ago and Lahinch (look it up!) next year. These sites are important because they add juice to amateur events, which are often harder sells than pro events, and bring a little gravitas to an important two-day showdown that highlights some really stellar up-and-coming talent.

Schrock: Completely agree with Berhow. This is what it’s supposed to be about. Having this event at Cypress just added juice to one of the best golf events of the year, and the USGA/Walker Cup continues to do this the right way.

Zak: Would you be watching multiple YouTube videos about the creation of the course, the membership, the grounds crew, etc. if the Walker Cup was at … French Lick? Or Streamsong? Or even the Cypress-adjacent Spanish Bay? With ALL due respect to those lovely venues, they’re not Cypress, and they’re not close. And with all due respect to the amateurs in the field … they’re still just amateurs! Every golf event on TV needs some special combination between field, stakes and site — and this was as good as you can get for site. That helps push you past anything else that might be lacking. TL;DR: Venues for this event matter so, so much.

Yes, though it should be noted that the lower demands of the event, the footprint and the quality of the players, allow the organizations to go to interesting venues.  Though the amazing bit is they actually do so, which is undoubtedly a function of the lack of money in the event.  

Ryder Cup Catch-Up - I'm mostly skipping the clutching of pearls over Keegan's picks, but the TC gang had some follow up:

The Ryder Cup doesn’t start next week, although 21 of the 24 players competing in it will be teeing it up anyway. Eleven of the 12 members of the European Ryder Cup team are in the field at the BMW PGA Championship, while 10 of the 12 Americans will play the Procore Championship in Napa, Calif. Two years ago, only two U.S. Ryder Cup players competed in Napa and nine of the 12 had five weeks off between the Tour Championship and Ryder Cup, which was a move the Americans were heavily criticized for following their loss. How much does this week matter for the Ryder Cup? A little or a lot?

Josh Berhow: I think it matters! Now, you could argue the Americans didn’t participate in Napa back in 2021 and yet still cruised at Whistling Straits, but if the option is one or the other and I’m

the captain of this team, I’d elect to play. It’s good to get competitive juices going and I think the team-building aspect is important. A different conversation is the timing of the Ryder Cup and/or the Tour Championship, which makes the U.S. squad have to deal with this break.

Josh Schrock: It certainly doesn’t hurt. The U.S. players were obviously rusty in Rome, although I’m uncertain how much that had to do with the shellacking they took. Credit to Keegan Bradley for getting most of his team to buy in, and to Scottie Scheffler, who sets the tone as World No. 1 and is clearly bought into making sure the Americans are much sharper this time around. Will it matter? We’ll soon find out.

Sean Zak: I think it matters a lot, but not necessarily in the ways you’d expect. I think it matters that J.J Spaun feels like he’s teammates with Bryson DeChambeau. And that DeChambeau feels like a teammate of Scottie Scheffler. This time last year, those two were suddenly Crypto.com Showdown opponents, and not exactly amicable that week. DeChambeau will be in Napa for team-related activities, and I think that’s important. Just as Collin Morikawa needs to keep grinding on his putting and Harris English grinding on his … whole game. Everyone needs to feel more comfortable, and next week can really help.

It was nice of Phil to gift us that Ryder Cup Task Force™ in 2014, but I wonder how much extra it would have cost to arrange a competent task force?  If you go back to these pages from 2023, you would find musings about the U.S. teams potential rustiness, something I was apparently the only observer to anticipate.... Sheesh!

Luke Donald finalized his Ryder Cup team with six captain’s picks he made last Monday, and his roster consists of 11 of the 12 players who beat the U.S. in Rome. How much stock do you put in that experience?

Berhow: A lot, especially since it’s an away game for them. But what’s important here is that he didn’t reach for experience like what might have happened in years past with some of those long-time regulars. He’s got the 12 best players possible and I think there’s little debate about that, at least less debate than there is on the American side.

Schrock: Don’t see how you can’t put a lot of stock in it. Not only does he bring experience back, but its experience that isn’t past its prime. Team Europe knows how these guys play together and has a good feel for what pairings they want in what sessions. I think Josh made a good point in that Donald didn’t take experience for experience sake, but he took experience that is also still playing well and not past its prime as has been the case in the past (see: Europe, 2021).

Zak: It feels greatly important that Sepp Straka got his feet wet and Ludvig Aberg paired so well with Viktor Hovland and, well, that Matt Fitzpatrick felt whatever it feels like to deliver a match victory. It’s all important for feeling like you belong and not feeling the inverse — like you don’t belong. The Ryder Cup cauldron is different, and weird thoughts can arise.

As William Goldman famously said in another context, "Nobody knows anything."   I think Donald made the obvious choices, and we should just enjoy the bizarre circumstances in which the one guy not back is replaced with his identical twin.  To extend the Hollywood analogy, if you wrote that in a script it would be rejected as implausible....  Because it's the Ryder Cup and that Ulsterman will be there, please note that it's Hollywood, not Holywood.

One last bit:

At the Irish Open, Shane Lowry said he didn’t think the home Ryder Cup fans would be too tough on his European squad, saying: “We play week-in, week-out in America. We all live in America, or most of us do, anyway, and we have all got a lot of fans in America. … I don’t think they can turn on you that bad for one week.” You buy this?

Berhow: Oh no. No, no, no, no. It could get ugly. And it certainly won’t be tame. Ironically, this comment might not help matters, like in “Dazed and Confused” when Jodi Kramer told her friends to take it easy on her kid brother, Mitch Kramer, for the freshmen hazing. Jodi, you just made it worse!

Schrock: Oh, Shane. The American fans might love you at the artist formerly known as the Northern Trust, but things are not going to be friendly come the end of the month in Long Island.

Zak: Sorry, Shane. But you’re just wrong. Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm, to name just two, didn’t particularly love it when Americans were brutal to them at Whistling Straits. And that was in a mostly non-competitive Cup. If this thing is close — I’d like to think it will be — Lowry will not have many fans cheering for his ball-striking at Bethpage.

Yeah, methinks denial isn't just a river in Egypt.  I'm not in doubt or concerned about the crowd's rooting interest, I'm worried about far worse.  There's a piece of this that I think gets lost in the shuffle, to wit, that the inevitable boozed up crowd will not have much to watch.  In normal golf events play is pretty much continuous, but Friday and Saturday at a Ryder Cup is quite different.  Four lone groups in each session, but hours before, in between and after, with an open bar.  Hard to see what could go wrong.

I must get on with my day.  Have a great week and I'll get back to the keyboard as obligations permit.