"To be more precise, the selection of one Peter Uihlein over someone called Dan Woltman has many close observers reaching for their anti-cynicism pills."

I've received a few more emails from folks I'd call USGA fans who are stunned by the recent Walker Cup selection process. You may remember Sean Martin wrote about Dan Woltman last week and now John Huggan has touched on the selection process in previewing the matches.

Going into last week's US Amateur, Woltman was apparently seen as a "lock" for one of the two Walker Cup spots still available; Uihlein, whose father, Wally, is the high heid-yin at Titleist, was not.

Yet the well-connected Uihlein, who made it to the last-16 of the US Amateur after a summer of relatively few highlights, will be at Merion and Woltman, following a string of distinguished performances that included the winning of the prestigious North-East Amateur and a last-16 spot in the national championship, will not.

"At the end of the day, the Walker Cup is a team competition," commented Steve Smyers, head of the USGA's international team selection committee. "And that was a very important component, to be able to stand on the tee with your partner and have a great deal of respect, both personally and for the game. That weighed heavily in the selection process."

Draw your own conclusions, but it sounds like young Woltman has upset at least one blue-blooded blazer – complete with Roman numeral – somewhere along the way. And, it must also be pointed out, 18 of next weekend's matches will be singles, so compatibility with a "partner" is unlikely to be decisive.

Comments

[Papa Bing]

Geoff - You didn't mention the best part of the Huggan article where he refers to Buddy Marucci as "...oh so smug..."

[Scott]

Huggan's just engaging in British mischief--trying to stir up the Yanks and insult Buddy Marucci, who upset their press last time by treating them coldly. As we know, Brits reserve the right to heap abuse on Americans, but get oddly bitchy when we fight back.

And I thought we were boycotting Scotland. Doesn't that include their writers?

[Farmingdale]

With things like this going on I can't understand why anyone would be criticised for skipping a Walker Cup to go ahead and get their pro career rolling...

[Anon]

Woltman has managed to alienate a lot of people around him. Why would you reward that behavior with a pick on a TEAM? He won the Wisconsin State AM a few years ago and NO ONE APPLAUDED. It was shocking.

[knowitall]

Geoff - Did you write a followup article AFTER the Walker Cup? Perhaps you failed to notice that young Uihlein went undefeated. Maybe the committee saw something that you failed to notice. His summer was far from lackluster.