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Young Guns Fowler And Horschel Will Carry The Early Load For USA Hopes
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| Rickie Fowler, the youngest of the USA team, has two big matches on Saturday (John Mummert/USGA). |
Newcastle, N. Ireland – Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel are two of the youngest members of the USA team, but they’ll have to act like winning veterans if the Americans are going to get off to a fast start in Saturday’s first day of play at the 41st Walker Cup Match at Royal County Down Golf Club.
Fowler, 18, of Murrieta, Calif., and Horschel, 20, of Grant, Fla., will begin the amateur team competition over the 7,181-yard, par 71 layout by taking on Great Britain and Ireland’s experienced pairing of Lloyd Saltman and Rhys Davies in foursomes (alternate shot).
Saltman and Davies are the GB&I’s strongest pairing and they were sent out first with the intention of getting their team on the board early. Each played well at the 2005 Walker Cup and they’ve remained amateurs for the last two years for this occasion. Next week they will turn professional.
After standing up the big guns in the morning, the task doesn’t get any easier for Horschel and Fowler in the afternoon. To begin the afternoon singles matches, they drew 18-year-old Irish phenomenon Rory McIllroy and Saltman respectively. McIllroy was the low amateur at this year’s British Open. And yes, he also plans to turn professional on Monday.
USA Captain Buddy Marucci has four others who will play both morning and afternoon matches Saturday. They are two-time USGA champion Colt Knost of Dallas, Texas; Dustin Johnson of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Kyle Stanley of Gig Harbor, Wash.; and Webb Simpson of Raleigh, N.C.
The USA won the last Walker Cup Match in 2005 at Chicago Golf Club by a point, after the GB&I teams had won the previous three in a row. There are 24 total points available, with eight coming in foursomes and the other 16 coming from singles matches. A win in a match is worth one team point.
Royal County Down is one of the gems in a long list of wonderful Irish golf venues. Numerous championships have been played here, and Old Tom Morris is credited with the original routing.
Saturday Morning Foursomes (Alternate Shot)
Time USA vs. GB&I
8:30 Billy Horschel and Rickie Fowler (USA) vs. Lloyd Saltman and Rhys Davies (GB&I)
8:44 Colt Knost and Dustin Johnson (USA) vs. Rory McIllroy and Jonny Caldwell (GB&I)
9:00 Trip Kuehne and Kyle Stanley (USA) vs. John Parry and David Horsey (BG&I)
9:15 Webb Simpson and Jonathan Moore (USA) vs. Jamie Moul and Danny Willett (GB&I)
Saturday Afternoon Singles
Time USA vs. GB&I
1:15 Billy Horschel (USA) vs. Rory McIllroy (GB&I)
1:25 Rickie Fowler (USA) vs. Lloyd Saltman (GB&I)
1:35 Dustin Johnson (USA) vs. Rhys Davies (GB&I)
1:45 Colt Knost (USA) vs. Danny Willett (GB&I)
2:00 Jamie Lovemark (USA) vs. Llewellyn Matthews (GB&I)
2:10 Kyle Stanley (USA) vs. Nigel Edwards (GB&I)
2:20 Chris Kirk (USA) vs. Jamie Moul (GB&I)
2:30 Webb Simpson (USA) vs. David Horsey (GB&I)
Story written by Craig Smith, USGA director of media relations. E-mail him with comments and questions at csmith@usga.org.
| Championship Facts |
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PAR AND YARDAGE – Royal County Down will be set up at 7,181 yards with a par of 35-36-71 GOLF COURSE ARCHITECT – Old Tom Morris is credited with the original routing in 1889, which was possibly the first course to ignore the then traditional layout of nine holes "out" and nine holes "back." Royal County Down was opened for play in 1891. Many revisions were made, including some by club professional Seymour Dunn (1904) and by famed golfer Harry Vardon. Others who had a hand in evolving changes to the course were George Combe and Harry Colt, all in the first three decades of the 1900s. The last of the modifications was in 2005 when Donald Steel tinkered with the 16th hole. ROYALTY – In 1908, King Edward VII conferred "Royal" status to the Club. WHAT IS THE WALKER CUP MATCH? – The Walker Cup Match is contested by male amateur players, one team from the United States and one team from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The teams consist of not more than 10 players and a captain. The Match is conducted every two years, alternately in the U.S. and Great Britain/Ireland. SCHEDULE OF PLAY – On Saturday, Sept. 8, and Sunday, Sept. 9, there will be four foursomes matches (18 holes each) each morning and eight singles matches (18 holes each) each afternoon. Starting Times – (local GMT) TICKETS – Daily grounds tickets are 25 pounds apiece. While a limited number are available, they can be purchased online at www.randa.org. Junior (age 16 and under) are 10 pounds apiece. 
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