50-Year-Old George Zahringer Still

Enjoys His Competition With The Kids

Ganton, North Yorkshire, England – George Zahringer must have thought this day would never come.

At age 50, the New Yorker is 19 years older than any of the other nine members of the USA Walker Cup team squad that will play this weekend versus a team from Great Britain and Ireland at Ganton Golf Club. He’s been playing golf for 40 years, but this could be the highlight of his career.

The Match is comprised of eight foursomes (alternate shot) matches and 16 singles matches over two days. The Americans have a commanding 31-6-1 lead in the series which is played every other year, but Great Britain and Ireland has won three of the last four Matches.

The reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, Zahringer has spent most of his recent years beating kids half his age. He even has a son older than several USA team members.

“I’m consistently playing against younger players, so it doesn’t matter to me,” said Zahringer, who clinched his place on the USA team by reaching the quarterfinals of the recent U.S. Amateur. “I can’t drive it with them, but my iron play is on the level.”

The only other mid-amateur (age 25 and older) golfer on the USA squad is 31-year-old Trip Kuehne of Dallas, Texas. The only two mid-amateur players on the opponent squad are Gary Wolstenholme, 43, and Nigel Edwards, 35.

“It’s interesting to me to here about their plans for the future, which for many include professional golf,” said Zahringer of his conversations with his teammates. “I’m sort of looking backward and their looking forward.

He knows a bit about the venue, having reached the quarterfinals of the British Amateur at Ganton Golf Club in 1991.

“Not much has changed since then,” noted the nine-time Metropolitan Golf Association Player of the Year.

Zahringer is the oldest player named to a USA squad since Bill Campbell was selected to the 1975 team at age 53.