What To Do To Restore The Walker Cup's Luster?

As the Walker Cup looms this weekend riding on almost no wave of attention, the reasons are pretty obvious:

-- A small TV presence (the ESPN details are in my Forward Press column), few star amateurs sticking around

-- Players selected choosing college events over the Cup

-- A secretive selection process that engenders no awareness of the competition to make the team or the rationale for why the USA team was picked

-- A trip to a links that isn't the more interesting links the R&A could go to for this event

Matters this week weren't helped with the news that Sam Horsfield, who was the fourth-highest GB&I player on the team before withdrawing for "personal reasons," just played five qualifying rounds and is on for Florida's first travel squad of the fall.

Alistair Tait at Golfweek reports.

Horsfield did not answer Golfweek’s requests for an interview. However, Florida head coach J.C. Deacon responded by email to Golfweek’s question on why Horsfield could not play at Royal Lytham and St. Annes but could tee it up at the Carpet Capital.

Deacon wrote: “Sam would have loved to be overseas playing for GB&I but a family situation came up. He was ready to play and excited to represent his country, so I truly feel for him. He's an amazing young man and we are all supporting him. It's a personal issue within Sam's family and I wouldn't feel right commenting further. I appreciate you understanding and having Sam's best interest at heart.”

Therefore, it may be time to reconsider elements to what should be a sensational and historic event.

Adam Schupak pens a Golfweek.com column making suggestions about how to improve the event. The only one within the reach of the USGA and R&A involves the date, which is proving problematic for elite college players wanting to turn pro. I'm not sure a move to spring would help either though...

The Walker Cup’s September date, which is during the school year for most of these college-aged players, seems antiquated. Sure, a May date would take some of the luster off the amateur summer, but winning the U.S. Amateur would be just as prestigious, and it doesn’t seem as though the hot hand gets picked for the team anyway (See Aaron Wise, winner of the Pacific Coast Amateur, runner-up in the Western Amateur; Derek Bard, finalist in the U.S. Amateur).

Why does having the best players represented matter, you ask? This has long been an event that elite amateur golfers from the U.S. and GB&I aspire to be part of before they turn pro. Hall termed it “a bucket list item in an amateur career.” It should remain that way. But don’t just take my word for it. Patrick Rodgers represented the American side in the previous two Walker Cups.

“I wish more people had the experience I had playing in two Walker Cups,” he said. “Not only is it the pinnacle of amateur golf, it may be the most fun you ever have playing golf. I wouldn’t pass up that experience for any kind of money playing professional golf. I think kids who skip out on that opportunity are making a big mistake, to be honest.”

The 2017 Walker Cup returns to the United States and will be played at The Los Angeles Country Club.

Golfweek: Phil For The Prez Cup? Really?

Let's face it: the Presidents Cup is just not a compelling competition. Initially an attempt by Tim Finchem to milk some more profits in the wake of the Ryder Cup, the matches have had some nice moments (Royal Montreal and Melbourne), but lacks much sizzle when the venues are lacking (like, now and in the foreseeable future). Short of bringing back stymies or going to magnificent courses, there is no real reason to get interested in the biennial competition as it heads to Korea this year.

Yet the captains did their best to make it compelling Tuesday with edgy selections, notably Nick Price picking soon-to-be-exiled-to-military-serviceman and rising star Sangmoon Bae, who gets to play in his native South Korea (assuming some crazy General doesn't intervene!).

On the U.S. side, Jay Haas and son Bill said all the right things in explaining the very justifiable captain's pick by father of son.

But the pick of the day that generated the most social media vitriol: Phil Mickelson by Haas as America's second option over names like Holmes, Snedeker, Horschel.

Golfweek's Jeff Babineau is perplexed by the Mickelson captain's pick.

Forgetting about the Gleneagles mutiny he helped to lead in one of the more bizarre post-event pressers of all time, Phil has been a model ambassador on Tour, the kind of guy who shows up to some city, smiles a bunch and signs as many autographs as any three other players combined.

Hey, wives are a big part of the team events, don’t forget, and in Amy Mickelson, Team USA gets a modern-day Barbara Nicklaus. Friendly, genuine, highly popular. The real deal.

But what does the U.S. get in adding Phil the player, the one who stands before us today at 45? Well … that’s the painful part, the part in which the needle screeches across the vinyl, and where everything grinds to an awkward halt. Sadly, performance-wise, elevating Mickelson onto the Presidents Cup team makes no real sense.

Since walking off the green with his fifth major – and first Claret Jug – in the summer of 2013, Mickelson has pretty much been an invisible man as a competitor. As much as he has tried to fire up the engine the last two years, losing weight, getting fit, pounding balls … the motor just hasn’t turned over. He hasn’t won in 26 months. That’s quite a spell. In 39 starts over two seasons, he has contended two times, albeit in majors.

Update on 2015-09-09 15:27 by Geoff

**Bob Harig couldn't make the case for Phil on his play, and wonders if this was a celebratory selection or something else.

Or maybe it's something more, a bit behind the scenes, inside the team room, so to speak.

Could Mickelson's pick to be part of the U.S. Presidents Cup team be a form of validation, a nod to what Lefty did last September at Gleneagles, when he shockingly spoke his mind and questioned the captaincy of Tom Watson, as well as the direction the PGA of America was going as it related to the Ryder Cup?

Mickelson took plenty of grief in the aftermath of that entire episode, but you didn't hear much, if anything, from those who were there as the Americans suffered another defeat at the hands of Europe, a third straight, and sixth out of the past seven.

Another Sign The U.S. Walker Cup Team Has Too Much Free Time

I'm trying to get excited about the Walker Cup matches this week, but with the whole selection process done in private, the team ringing Wall Street bells (really?) and a travel budget designed to spend the USGA's Fox money, it's just hard to get excited about what should be a supreme exhibition of amateur team golf.

Seeing them resort to a stunt video--of which I'm usually a fan of--just adds to the sense that the Walker Cup has become another strange chapter in what is the decline of amateur golf.

Steve Elling with the video of the Walker Cup team's stunt video posted by the Royal Lytham pro shop Twitter account, if you're so inclined.

Poll: Should Haas Pick Haas For The Presidents Cup Team?

There have been a few suggestions of nepotism should Bill Haas, after a closing 72 at the Deutsche Bank will be just outside the 10 automatic spots for the Presidents Cup, be one of dad Jay's two Captain's picks.

Randall Mell presented all of the scenarios before Monday's final round. The situation is certainly an intriguing one.

Knowing how much the family loves sports, it was no surprise Bill was almost distraught after his round Monday. But unless there is pressure to add a veteran star, it's hard to see how Jay does not pick Bill.

Or does it look bad?

What say you? You get two votes...

Who would be your two Presidents Cup picks?

Bill Haas

J.B. Holmes

Brandt Snedeker

Billy Horschel

Brooks Koepka

Phil Mickelson

Tiger Woods

 

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