Walker Cup Match Blog

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Rickie Fowler A Big Present In Small Package

Rickie Fowler hardly stands out in a Sunday crowd, unless it’s on the golf course.   He was one of the last two picks for the 10-man USA squad for this weekend’s Walker Cup Match at Royal County Down in Newcastle , Northern Ireland , but it’s clear that the Americans would have been in trouble without him.   He failed to make match play at the recent U.S. Amateur held at The Olympic Club and he left San Francisco wondering if he had hurt his chances to make the team. He won the 2007 Sunnehanna Amateur and the 2007 Players Amateur, but was it enough?   He found out it was on Sunday night, hours after the Amateur had concluded. He was already on campus at Oklahoma State , where he is beginning his freshman season. But classes got shelved for one more week when he got the call telling him he was selected to be a member of the USA Walker Cup team.   Fowler has dazzled with his short game here and he has putted better than most good players who spend their careers on links layouts.   “This tournament is going to be won on the greens or around the greens,” said the five-foot eight-inch Fowler on Saturday night.   With a 3-0 record heading into Sunday afternoon singles, that’s just where Fowler wants to lay his bets.   Story written by Craig Smith, USGA director of media relations. E-mail him with comments and questions at csmith@usga.org.

Posted By Craig Smith At 10:05 AM •

Saturday, September 08, 2007

“I Can’t Take These Guys Off The Golf Course”

It’s hard to believe that the Great Britain and Ireland team is tied after the first day of play at the Walker Cup when the three stars of the squad are a collective 1-4-1 . Scotland ’s Welshman Rhys Davies was 1-1.   At one point, the Americans stood a good chance to be ahead after the first day by 8-5, but the GB&I guys found a way to win the last three singles matches on the last hole. It was the unlikely bunch named Edwards , Moul and Horsey who were the heroes of the first day for GB&I   The Americans also had unlikely headliners in Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel . Each went 2-0, convincing their captain that they win on Sunday too.   “I can’t take these guys off the golf course,” Marucci said. “They have earned that the way they played today.”   Colt Knost also will play four times before it’s over.   Story written by Craig Smith, USGA director of media relations. E-mail him with comments and questions at csmith@usga.org.

Posted By Craig Smith At 5:24 PM •

Friday, September 07, 2007

Trip Kuehne Carries the True Walker Cup Spirit

Trip Kuehne of Dallas is making his third appearance as part of the USA Walker Cup team. The founders of the Walker Cup Match in the 1920s would be proud that its spirit has endured.   In a pre-event press conference Thursday, the 35-year-old Kuehne shared his views that the chance to be selected for a Walker Cup team is one of the reasons he continues to compete. The two sides play to win, but…   “Yes, it's a great match and both sides are trying extremely hard to win the Match,” said Kuehne.  The competition is about fostering the amateur game; and fostering the relationship between the USGA and the R&A; and about camaraderie among your teammates and friendship among players that you never get to really see how you're getting stacked up against.   “This event is about coming over here, representing yourself, your country, your teammates to the best of your ability and trying to get out there and compete with a foursomes partner and individually to win matches and hopefully come Sunday, your team is victorious.   “But I think most importantly on Sunday what needs to happen is the game of golf needs to be better.  It's not really a matter of who wins or loses the Match.  It's to make the game of golf better, and especially to make the amateur game better.”   Let me offer that some day when Kuehne can’t play well enough to be selected for the USA team, he’d make a wonderful captain.   Story written by Craig Smith, USGA director of media relations. E-mail him with comments or questions at csmith@usga.org.

Posted By Craig Smith At 2:51 AM •

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Just How Good Is Rory McIllroy?

The Irish love their golf, and they have some of the greatest golf courses in the world. Now, I see they have one of the bright young talents in 18-year-old Rory McIllroy . I fully appreciated his talent even before meeting him for the first time this afternoon.   I took some vacation time and played some links golf for a few days before getting to Newcastle , Northern Ireland , for the Walker Cup Match at Royal County Down. A friend and I stopped at three courses where there was a picture of McIllroy on every golf shop wall. Seems he has been winning one thing or another in this country from the time he was 12. All I knew was that he was low amateur at this year’s British Open.   But when I was told he shot a course record 61 at Royal Portrush in a 2006 championship qualifying round for the Northern Irish Open, I flipped. No way!   Hey, Portrush is a tight British Open course where the winds blow. I’m told there was some wind the day McIllroy became a legend there.   When I brought it up in casual conversation with McIllroy on Thursday, he offered a big smile and said, “Yea. That was pretty good.”   It sure beat my score of 91 from the mid-range tees. I’ll beat he didn’t lose any golf balls either.   I can’t wait to watch him play. And because he hails from the Belfast suburb of Hollywood , Northern Ireland , less than an hour’s drive from here, there will be thousands who should want to do the same.   Story written by Craig Smith, USGA director of media relations. E-mail him with questions or comments at csmith@usga.org.

Posted By Craig Smith At 11:55 AM •