sign in sign up
<<
Home , Bud Ward, Chandler Egan, Davidson Herron, Dick Chapman, George Von Elm, Jack Westland

USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: SEPTEMBER, 1953 13 Big Moments in the Matches By JOHN P. ENGLISH USGA ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Walker Cup competition was be­ quently in England and Scotland and gun in the wake of the first World War played many of the well-known . with a view to stimulating interest Mr. Walker's Plan on both sides of the Atlantic. Among the participants was George It was born in an era of dawning in­ Herbert Walker, of the National Golf ternationalism and grew, at least in part, Links of America, Southampton, N. Y., out of two international matches between President of the USGA in 1920, who Canada and the . In 1919, passed away last June. Mr. Walker had the Royal Canadian Golf Association in­ been a low- player in St. Louis vited the USGA to send an amateur team and was a keen advocate of the game. to Canada. The invitation was accepted, Upon the Executive Committee's re­ and William C. Fownes, Jr., was ap­ turn to the United States, the possibility pointed captain. His 10-man team con­ of international team matches was dis­ sisted of John G. Anderson, Eben M. By- cussed. The idea so appealed to Mr. Walk­ ers, Charles Evans, Jr., Robert A. Gard­ er that, at a meeting of the Committee ner, Robert T. Jones, Jr., Oswald Kirkby, at the Links Club, in Manhattan, on the , Francis D. Ouimet, George afternoon of December 21, 1920, he pre­ Ormiston and Jerome D. Travers. Playing sented a plan for an international golf , in the morning and singles in championship and offered to donate an the afternoon, it defeated the Canadians, International Challenge Trophy. When 12 to 3, at the Hamilton (Ont.) the newspapers printed the news, they an July 25, 1919. The USGA Team won called it, to Mr. Walker's chagrin, the a return match the following year, in Sep­ "Walker Cup", and the name has stuck. tember, at the Engineers Country Club, Early in 1921, the USGA invited aii in Roslyn, N. Y., 10 to 4. countries interested in golf to send teams Simultaneously, British and Americans to compete for the Trophy, but no coun­ were seriously seeking each other's cham­ try was able to accept that year. The pionships. In the spring of 1920, Bob American urge for international com­ Gardner had gone to the final of the Brit­ petition was rampant, however, and ish Amateur at , losing to Cyril Fownes, who had twice assembled the Tolley on the 37th hole. The USGA Ama­ amateur teams which played against Can­ teur that fall also had an international ada, rounded up a third team in the aspect. In addition to members of the spring of 1921 and took it to Hoylake, Canadian team, Tolley, , England, where in an informal match it Lord Charles Hope and defeated a British team, 9 to 3, on the came from Great Britain. Most of these day before the British Amateur. failed to qualify, and the last foreign con­ If there had been any sentiment that tender, Armour, was beaten by Ouimet in the Americans could not provide adequate the third round. competition, this must have dispelled it. The Executive Committee of the USGA, The members of that informal United meanwhile, was invited abroad to confer States team were: Charles Evans, Jr., Wil­ with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club's liam C. Fownes, Jr., Jesse P. Guilford, Rules Committee regarding the advis­ Paul Hunter, Robert T. Jones, Jr., Fran­ ability of amending or modifying various cis D. Ouimet, J. Piatt and Fred­ rules. The invitation was accepted and erick J. Wright, Jr. They won all four the USGA representatives sailed in the of the morning foursomes and five of the spring of 1920. The conferees met fre­ eight afternoon singles. 14 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: SEPTEMBER, 1953

Although the Americans were not suc­ not been played out, and no points are cessful in the British Amateur, Wright awarded to either side. did go to the quarter-finals and Jock Although many of the matches in that Hutchison later that year won the Brit­ first meeting were close, the United States ish Open, after a play-off with Roger won three of the four foursomes and the Wethered. first five of the eight singles to score an The following spring, the Royal and 8 to 4 victory in the first official match Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scot­ for the Walker Cup. land, announced that it would send a The members of the British team went team to compete for the Walker Cup in from the National to Brookline, Mass., the United States that,year, 1922. for the USGA Amateur and only Tolley Howard F. Whitney, who had suc­ went as far as the quarter-finals in quest ceeded Mr. Walker as President of the of the title which Sweetser won so im­ USGA in 1921, made the arrangements pressively. for the match, selecting as the site Mr. An invitation to send a team to St. Walker's home club, the National Golf Andrews, Scotland, to defend the cup was Links of America. The dates were Mon­ quickly accepted the following winter, and day and Tuesday, August 28 and 29. the Americans nearly received their come­ The plan was for each side to select uppance in May, 1923. There had been eight players and to play foursomes the many changes in personnel. Robert A. first day and singles the second day. Gardner succeeded William C. Fownes, The team selected to represent the Jr., as captain, and ten players were se­ United States was again captained by lected so that alternates would be avail­ Fownes. The other members were Charles able on the scene. In addition to Gard­ Evans, Jr., Robert A. Gardner, Jesse P. ner, , and Guilford, Robert T. Jones, Jr., Max R. Max Marston continued as members. S. Marston, Francis D. Ouimet and Jess , Harrison R. Johnston, W. Sweetser. Guilford held the Amateur J. F. Neville, George V. Rotan, Dr. 0. F. Championship. Willing and Frederick J. Wright, Jr., re­ Robert Harris was nominated to cap­ placed Evans, Fownes, Guilford and Jones, tain the British team. His side consisted who was studying at Harvard. of Cyril J. H. Tolley, Roger H. Wethered, In the British Amateur at Deal, which Colin C. Aylmer, C. V. L. Hooman, W. B. preceded the Match, Ouimet, who had Torrance, John Caven and W. Willis won the Gold Vase, went to the semi­ Mackenzie. A notable absentee was Er­ finals, along with Douglas Grant, a fel­ nest W. E. Holderness, the British Cham­ low-American who was living abroad. pion, who was unable to make the trip. Roger Wethered defeated Robert Harris, 7 and 6, in the final, and he remains the Bernard Darwin's Role only Briton who has won a British Ama­ Bernard Darwin, the golf writer of the teur in a year when a United States Walk­ TIMES of London, came with the team as er Cup Team was playing abroad. a correspondent. When Harris fell ill be­ On the first day of the Match at St. fore the match, Darwin was invited to Andrews, with and Roger compete in his stead and serve as play­ Wethered leading off, the British won ing captain. He defeated Fownes, 3 and three of the four foursomes, so that the 1, in an interesting singles match after Americans went into the eight singles losing the first three holes. needing five victories to tie and six to In the final singles match, Hooman de­ win. The prospect became even more feated Sweetser on the first extra hole. gloomy when most of the Americans were It was the only extra-hole match ever trailing in their singles matches at noon. played in Walker Cup competitions. Since At one point the Team, collectively, had that time, matches which finish even have been 24 holes down. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: SEPTEMBER, 1953 15

Robert T. Jones, Jr., then 20, putting on the third green at the National Golf Links of America. Southampton, N. Y.. in the first Match for the Walker Cup. He defeated Roger H. Wethered, right, 3 and 2. Then their competitive fire was kindled. tember, 1924, at the Garden City Go'f Ouimet, 2 down with three to play, made Club. Captain Gardner's American team 3s on the 34th and 36th holes, the latter was particularly strong that year, every by holing an 18-foot putt around a ­ member having been a veteran Cup play­ tial stymie, to halve with Wethered and er. It won, 9 to 3, over Captain Cyril equal the course record of 70. Rotan, Tolley's side, although not one of the who had been 6 down after 14 holes, ral­ Americans clinched a victory earlier than lied to win 11 of the next 12 holes and the 33rd green. defeat Mackenzie, 6 and 4. Marston, who This Match was the last to be played had been 1 down at noon, came back to on an annual basis. It was felt that the beat W. L. Hope, 5 and 4. Wright, 2 financial strain of annual Matches was down with three to play, won the last too severe and that interest might drop three holes, the final one with a seven- if the Matches were played too fre­ foot putt for a birdie 3, to defeat Holder- quently. A decision was made to meet ness. in alternate years thereafter. These comebacks, coupled with Gard­ In 1926, the Americans, again cap­ ner's 1-up victory over Harris, the Brit­ tained by Gardner, went first to Muirfiekl, ish Captain, tied the match, and the de­ Scotland, for the British Amateur. Jess cision rode on ihe contest between Dr. Sweetser, suffering severely from near- Willing and William A. Murray. They pneumonia, became the first American- were the last on the course, and with born winner of that Championship. Then three holes »o play, they were even. Bui. the team, comprising a nucleus of veter­ Dr. Willing won the 34th and 35th to ans, with and the two give the United States a 6-to-5 victory youngsters, Roland MacKenzie, who was and retain the Cup. only 17, and , returned to In his report to the Executive Com­ St. Andrews for the Match and defended mittee, Howard F. Whitney, chairman of the Cup by the narrowest of margins. the International Matches and Relations Bob Jones, who later that year was to Committee, wrote: "Your committee is win his first British Open, started his of the opinion that international compe­ series of one-sided victories in singles tition in golf has done as much for the play by defeating Cyri! Tolley, 12 and 11. development of the game as any other Jones never was defeated in five singles factor." matches. But the Americans won only six Another Match was scheduled for Sep contests against Captain Harris's side, and 16 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: SEPTEMRER, 1953

their 6 to 5 victory traced to Von Elm's Billows and Fred Haas, Jr., successively tie with Major Charles 0. Hezlet in a entered the scene in the prewar years. grim singles contest on the final day. Crawley Denis the Cup After that Match, Jones assumed the They were capable replacements for the captaincy of the Team and, in 1928 at veterans of the early matches. At The the Golf Club and in 1930 at Country Club in 1932, when the Match Sandwich, inaugurated a period of as­ was played during a total eclipse of the cendancy which saw the Americans win­ sun, the biggest dent the British made in ning, 11 to 1 and 10 to 2. the Cup was by Leonard G. Crawley. Hir Jones set the pace in 1928 when he de­ not only won the only point for Captain feated T. , 13 and 12, T. A. Torrance's side, defeating George J. in the first singles match. It was the Voigt by a hole, but his errant shot widest margin in the history of the series. to the 18th green at noon hit the Cup on George J. Voigt and Donald K. Moe the fly. The Americans won the dented joined the team in 1930, and Moe won Cup, 8 to 1. The British side that year one of the great match?s of the series included two brothers, Rex W. and W. from James A. (Bill)'Stout. Stout played Lister Hartley, and they were paired to­ the course in 68 in the morning and gether in the first foursome. stood 4 up. He started the afternoon Playing at St. Andrews in 1934 and round 3-3-3 and went 7 up, and he was then at the in 1936, still 7 up with 13 to play. Moe then took the Americans won their eight and ninlh back every one of the seven holes ant! successive victories, by 9 to 2 and then, won the match with a birdie 3 on the in the only shutout of the series, by 9 last hole. His score for the round was to 0. The British side in 1934 was cap­ 67. After the match, Stout remarked rev­ tained by the Hon. Michael Scott, who erently: "That was not golf; that was a had won the 1933 British Amateur at the visitation from the Lord!" age of 55 and the following year became the oldest competitor in the Walker Cup Ouimet's Cup Career series. Again the American invasion in­ Lipon Jones's retirement after his cluded a victory in the British Amateur, in 1930, Francis Ouimet, winning at Prestwick. who had participated in every interna­ The British went down fighting, how­ tional Match, took over the captaincy in ever, in 1936. In the foursome play at 1932 and retained it for six matches, Pine Valley, Alec Hill and Cecil Ewing through 1949. His personal record re­ were 7 down to George Voigt and Harry veals four victories and two defeats in Givan with 11 to play. They squared the eight singles matches and five wins and match on the 35th hole and halved the three losses in eight foursomes. He last last to gain a tie. And Jock McLean, of played in 1934 at St. Andrews but con­ the British Team, nearly carried away tinued as a non-playing Captain. our Amateur Championship: Johnny- The personnel of the teams changed Fischer had to play the last three holes rapidly, too, after the Jones era, as in birdies to beat him on the 37th green Charles H. Seaver, Gus T. Moreland. in the final. George T. Dunlap, Jr., William Howell, The succession of nine victories, the , a player in 1932 and 1934 last four decisive, set the stage for the and again in 1953; Maurice J. McCarthy, come-uppance which had been so nar Jr., W. Lawson Little, Jr., John Good­ rowly averted in 1923. There was every man, the veteran H. , who reason for the Americans to be confident played in 1934 at the age of 50; John W. again when they went to Scotland in 1938, Fischer, Albert E. Campbell, Reynolds and Charles R. Yates, the Captain this Smith, Charles R. Yates, Walter Emery, year, won the British Amateur at Troon, Harry L. Givan, Ed White, Charles R. prior to the Walker Cup play, to increase Kocsis, Marvin H. Ward, Raymond E. this confidence. TJSGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: SEPTEMBER, 1953 17

The British, however, were most serious NEW MEMBERS OF THE USGA about the Match. Captain John B. Beck conducted trials for a squad of players REGULAR in an effort to end the American string Alexandria Golf and Country Club, La. of nine successive victories. When the Alvin Golf and Country Club, Texas teams met at St. Andrews, the British Avon Bend Golf Club, Ore. Blackwell Country Club, Okla. two and halved another of the four four­ Bur'ington Country Club, Vt. somes to take a lead they never re­ Butler Country Club, Pa. linquished. An indication of their excel­ Columbia Golf Club, Minn. lence was the fact that James Bruen, Jr., Coral Gab'es Biltmore, Fla. Country Club of Barre, Vt. and Harry G. Bentley, 3 down at noon, Cu.hing Country Cub, Okla. came back with an approximate 68 to Edgewood Golf Cub, Conn. halve Fischer and Kocsis. Fa'rfnx Country Cub, Va. F.yciteville Coun'ry Club, Ark. The Sole Defeat Feather River Country Club, Cal. Fremont Golf Club, Ohio The Americans needed five victories in Geneva Country Club, N. Y. singles to insure defense of the Cup. Harmon Golf Club, Ohio Ward played the Old Course in 67 in Hubbard Trail Country Club, III. Humboldt Country Club, Iowa the first round and beat Frank Pennink, IBM Country Club (Sands Point), N. Y. 12 and 11. Fischer, 4 down at noon, was Joliet Country Club, III. 6 under 4s for 16 holes in the afternoon La Belle Golf Club, Wis. to beat Leonard Crawley. Yates also won. Laredo Golf Association, Texas But their victories were not enough. Lee Cub, Va. Marshfield Country Club, Mass. Great Britain finally took possession of McA (ester Country Club. Okla. the Cup, .7 to 4, in its tenth challenge. Mt. Graham Golf Club, Ariz. Nevada County Country Club, Cal. It took a decade for the United States Newburg Country Club, N. Y. to regain the Cup. The War intervened New Castle Country Club, Pa. and no Match was played until the USGA Oakcrest Country Club. III. sent a team to St. Andrews in 1947. Un­ Oak Hills Go'r and Country Club, Okla. der normal circumstances, the Match Ontario , Ore. Paris Golf Club, Texas would have been played in this country, Patty Jewett Golf Course, Colo. but postwar conditions would have mad»! Ruth Lake Country Cub, III. the trip difficult for the British. Sakonnet Golf Club, R. I. Sierra View Country Club, Cal. The Match was another close one, Springdale Golf Club, Mich. closer than the score indicated. Captain Topeka Country Club, Kans. Ouimet's side won two foursomes, and Unionville Country Club, Mo. Valley Country Club, Pa. Captain Beck's side won two. After 18 Valley Country Club of Ledgemont, R. I. holes of singles play, four British play­ Wallingford Country Club, Conn. ers were ahead and four Americans were Whitinsville Golf Club, Mass. leading. It was anyone's Match, but the Americans were equal to the occasion. ASSOCIATE , 3 down at noon, played 15 holes in three under 4s to beat Leonard All View Golf Course, Md. Bend of the River Golf Course, N. Y. Crawley, 5 and 3, in the No. 1 contest. Northernaire Golf Course, Wis. , 2 down at noon, went San Marcos Golf and Country Club, Ariz. to the turn in 34 and defeated Charles Vacation Valley, Pa. Stowe, 2 and 1. The four Americans who had been ahead at noon held their ad­ had played in 1938 — Bud Ward. In the vantages, and the United States regained War decade, , , the Cup, 8 to 4. The Team stayed abroad Fred Kammer, , Skee Rie- for the British Amateur, at Carnoustie, gel, Stranahan and Turnesa achieved Cup and won. status and took over from the veterans. Only one member of this 1947 Team In 1951 Turnesa replaced Ouimet as 18 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: SEPTEMBER, 1953

Captain. These players were joined in the played under a purely verbal, informal following two Cup Matches by Billy agreement. Early that year, however, the Campbell, Charley Coe, John Dawson, Royal and Ancient Golf Club and the Bobby Knowles, Bruce McCormick, Har­ USGA finally wrote a covering agreement old Paddock and . which was signed by Commander J. A. S. When the Match was next held in the Carson for the R. and A. and by Isaac United States, in 1949 at the Winged B. Grainger for the USGA. It formalized Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, N. Y., it the basic principles under which the was not so close. Laddie Lucas, a left- Matches had been held, and its terms are: handed golfer, provided outstanding HISTORY leadership as a non-playing captain, but United States skill with the sand 1. Arising out of a conversation between Mr. G. H. Walker of the United States and and could not be overcome. Ron­ the late Mr. W. Norman Boase of the Royal nie White, the British lead-off player, won and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, a his singles and his foursome, the latter Cup was presented by the former for inter­ with , but these were only points national competition to be known as "The the British took. The United States won, United States Golf Association International 10 to 2. Challenge Trophy," popularly described as This superiority was maintained at "The Walker Cup." Birkdale in 1951, although on English soil the margin of this twelfth United COUNTRIES ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE States victory was a less emphatic 6 to 2. The Cup shall be played for by teams 3. As a matter of fact, after 18 holes of of amateur golfers selected from Clubs un­ first-day foursomes, the British led in der the jurisdiction of the United States three matches and the fourth was even, Golf Association on the one side and from but Captain Turnesa's men rallied to win England, Scotland, Wales, two of the foursomes and halve the other and Eire on the other. two. The next day they won four and FREQUENCY OF PLAY halved one of the eight singles. Paddock saved the half after being 3 down with 3. The International Walker Cup Match four to play and 2 down with two to shall be held every two years in the United play, finishing 3-4-3-4. White again was States of America and Great Britain alter­ nately. the mainstay of the British side, playing thirty-five holes in three under fours to TEAMS edge Coe in singles after pairing with Can­ 4. The teams shall consist of not more to halve his foursome. White had never than ten players and a captain. been defeated in Cup play. Following the Match, Dick Chapman FORM OF PLAY won the British Amateur, defeating Coe 5. The Match shall consist of four four­ in an all-American final. It marked the somes on the first day and eight singles on seventh successive occasion on which a the second day. member of a visiting United States Walk­ CUSTODY OF CUP er Cup Team had won. During this visit, representatives of the 6. The Country winning the Cup shall Royal and Ancient Golf Club and of the have custody of it until the next Match is USGA met in London and St. Andrews, played and shall be responsible for its safe­ ty from the time it is handed over until the with representatives of Australia and time when it is relinquished. Canada, and drafted a uniform code of Rules. Thus the series which had de­ RULES OF PLAY veloped in part from the 1920 confer­ 7. The conduct of the International ence on Rules itself spawned another and Match shall be governed by the Rules of more successful conference on Rules. Golf obtaining in the country in which the Every Match until 1949 had been Match is being played.