Walker Cup Victory Crown's Marucci's Career

By David Normoyle

Newcastle, N. Ireland - As Jonathan Moore lined-up his 4-foot eagle putt on the 18th green, United States of America captain Buddy Marucci was just 10 feet away on his knees on the edge of the green.

His red USA hat was off, held with one hand while the other ran back and forth over his head, rubbing away the stress. He had been every step of the way with Moore on this final hole, knowing that a victory in this match would win the Walker Cup outright for the USA. The afternoon to that point had belonged to the Great Britain and Ireland team, who surged ahead with four-and-a-half points in the first five singles matches and cast serious doubt on the ability of Marucci’s team to hold on and win the 41st Walker Cup Match.

When Moore’s putt fell, Marucci leapt to his feet, meeting Moore just as his USA teammates came rushing from the other side of the green. With 12 points the USA had the exact margin it needed to win. Marucci, a two-time Walker Cup member, and competitor at the highest levels of amateur golf, was asked where he places this moment is his career.

“This is it. This – it’s just, this is it. I can’t describe it,” said a visibly emotional Marucci.

Though he never hit a shot in this competition, Marucci made it clear, with passion and conviction in his voice, that serving as captain of a victorious Walker Cup team was the highlight of his golf life.

“I’ve never been on a team that got along as well as this one,” said Marucci “They had a sense of chemistry that, down the stretch, well, you saw how it important it was when they were able to hang in there at the end. It was an honor to be a part of this.”

Marucci was joined in the celebration on the green afterward by Moore, whose 4-iron shot from 252 yards trickled to within 5 feet of the 18th hole and was the epitome of never folding.

“Buddy’s calmness, all week, was so important for me and our team,” said Moore. “He understood more than anybody what this week as all about. He told us that winning wasn’t the most important thing, but that when we got on that golf course we’d better work our butts off.”

Being selected as the captain became a consuming passion for Marucci, who experienced both victory and defeat in his Walker Cup career as a player.

“I can’t describe how unbelievably hard Buddy worked for this,”  said Bill Iredale, chairman of the 2005 U.S. Amateur championship at Merion Golf Club, and a fellow member with Marucci. “He left nothing to chance. Buddy gave his entire life to being captain.”

Moore’s praise for his captain was echoed by others on the USA squad, and when Marucci was asked what specific things he did as a captain to encourage the camaraderie among the teammates he said: “I just observed these guys. I watched them perform for years before this day. I knew who they were as people and how they got along. I knew that I wanted these guys on my team. And I’m so proud I got to come along with them for the ride.”

David Normoyle is a freelance writer whose work has appeared previously on USGA championship Web sites.