Walker Cup Gets Moved To Even Numbers Years Starting In 2026

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The move of the biennial team matches to even number years implies the schedule impact of golf in the Olympics and a chance to help the World Amateur Team Championships apparently motivated the decision.

The announcement sets up matches in 2025 at Cypress Point and in 2026 at a UK venue to be determined, with previous announced U.S. venues Bandon Dunes and Oakmont moving up a year.

For Immediate Release from the R&A:

THE R&A AND THE USGA MOVE THE WALKER CUP MATCH TO EVEN YEARS BEGINNING IN 2026

21 March 2022, St Andrews, Scotland: The R&A and the USGA today announced that the Walker Cup match will be contested in even years from 2026 onwards.

The shift moves the biennial men’s team match between Great Britain and Ireland and the USA away from the World Amateur Team Championships which will be played in odd years beginning in 2023.

Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, said, “We have looked at this carefully with the USGA and believe that this change creates the best schedule for the players and for the Walker Cup match itself. The Walker Cup is at the forefront of men’s amateur golf and we want to ensure that its status is reflected in its position in the golfing calendar.”

“The re-emergence of golf in the Olympic Games has had a ripple effect on the overall golf calendar and this is just the next step in that as we make sure team competitions have a balanced schedule and in this case, encourage participation by the world’s best amateurs without unnecessary conflict,” said John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer, USGA.

The World Amateur Team Championships announced in 2020 that it would move to odd years to avoid a same-year conflict with the Summer Olympic Games.

The 49th Walker Cup match will be contested from 2-3 September 2023 at St Andrews. The home of golf has hosted eight previous Walker Cups, more than any other venue, most recently in 1975, when the USA defeated GB&I, 15½-8½.

And in the buried lede department, the announcement also moves the 2034 U.S. Open scheduled for Oakmont up a year to 2033.

It’s not clear if the two have much link or if the USGA just wanted to free up 2034 for Oakland Hills.

USGA Names Nathan Smith, Mike McCoy Next Two Walker Cup Captains

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Congrats to these two longtime competitors and keep them in your prayers as they captain at the Old Course and Cypress Point.

Mike McCoy in 2023 at St Andrews and Nathan Smith in 2025 at Cypress Point.

The full release:

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (March 9, 2022) – The USGA announced on Wednesday that Mike McCoy, of Des Moines, Iowa, will captain the USA Team for the 2023 Walker Cup Match on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland and Nathan Smith, of Pittsburgh, Pa., will captain the USA Team for the 2025 Walker Cup Match at Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, Calif.

“Both Mike and Nathan have long, exceptional histories with the USGA and outstanding amateur golf resumes,” said Stu Francis, USGA president. “Given the historic nature of the next two matches being staged at St. Andrews and Cypress Point, we wanted to give both of them the time to enjoy this leadership opportunity and plan their next few years accordingly. We congratulate each of them on an honor well deserved and look forward to watching them lead two talented USA Teams.”

McCoy, 59, won the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, becoming the second-oldest champion in the event’s history at age 50. He has competed in 65 USGA championships, including 20 U.S. Amateurs, and was a member of the 2015 USA Walker Cup Team at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in England.

“I am humbled to be chosen captain of the next USA Walker Cup Team,” said McCoy. “It will again be a privilege to be a part of the Walker Cup competition that I was so fortunate to be a part of in 2015. My experiences with the USGA, and the Walker Cup Match, have provided some of the most unforgettable weeks of my life, and I’m thrilled to build new memories with members of next year’s team. I look forward to the diligent preparation that will be required for the challenge of the Old Course.”

McCoy, who had twice reached the semifinals of the U.S. Mid-Am before coming through for victory in 2013 in his first USGA final, registered the third-highest margin of victory since the Mid-Amateur went to a 36-hole final in 2001. His 8-and-6 victory over Bill Williamson on the Country Club of Birmingham’s West Course earned him a spot in the 2014 Masters Tournament, where McCoy became the second-oldest player to make his debut in event history.

McCoy was low amateur in both the 2014 and 2015 U.S. Senior Opens, tying the record for lowest 72-hole score by an amateur (282) at Del Paso Country Club in 2015. Later that year, he won the prestigious Crane Cup and Coleman Invitational before becoming the third-oldest Walker Cup competitor in history at 52 years old.

An 11-time Iowa Player of the Year, McCoy was a collegiate golfer at Wichita State University and currently serves as president of the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association, one of the country’s oldest golf associations. McCoy works in the insurance industry and has four children with his wife, Tana: Nate, Megan, Danny and Erin, in addition to two stepsons, Cade and Corbin Nichol. Nate, who played collegiately at Iowa State, competed alongside Mike in the 2019 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst, only the fifth known instance of a father-son combination playing in the same U.S. Amateur.

Smith, 43, has won four U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships (2003, 2009, 2010, 2012) as well as the inaugural 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, with partner Todd White. He has competed in 48 USGA championships and played on three consecutive Walker Cup Teams (2009, 2011, 2013), earning the clinching point in the 2013 USA victory at the National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y.

“Historically, I understand that there is no greater honor than being named captain of the USA Walker Cup Team,” said Smith. “I am ecstatic at the opportunity to lead this team at such a historic and storied venue. Providing the winning point for the USA during the 2013 Match is a memory I will never forget, and that accomplished feeling is something I'm focused on providing for the team in 2025.”

In the USA’s 2009 Walker Cup victory at Merion Golf Club, Smith won two foursomes matches with partner Peter Uihlein. His singles victory over GB&I’s Nathan Kimsey provided the winning point in the USA’s 17-9 triumph in 2013. Smith amassed a 3-4-1 record in his three Walker Cup Matches.

Smith was a Division III All-America player at Allegheny College and is one of the most decorated mid-amateurs in the country. His four U.S. Mid-Amateur victories are a championship record – one more than Jay Sigel, a fellow Pennsylvanian who competed in a USA-record nine Walker Cups. Smith first won in 2003, at Wilmington (Del.) Country Club, to become the youngest-ever champion at age 25. Smith won consecutive Mid-Amateurs, in 2009 at The Kiawah Island (S.C.) Club, and in 2010 at Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton, N.Y., before making history with his fourth win in 2012, at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill., becoming only the 15th person to win the same USGA championship at least four times.

The Pittsburgh, Pa., native teamed up with 2013 Walker Cup teammate Todd White, of Spartanburg, S.C., for a victory in the 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, capturing the inaugural title with a 7-and-5 victory over Greg Earnhardt and Sherrill Britt on The Olympic Club’s Lake Course in San Francisco, Calif.

The Walker Cup Match is a 10-man amateur team competition between the USA and Great Britain and Ireland. The 49th Match will be contested Sept. 2-3, 2023, at St. Andrews. The birthplace of golf has hosted eight previous Walker Cups, more than any other venue, most recently in 1975, when the USA defeated GB&I, 15½-8½, led by future U.S. Open champions Jerry Pate and Curtis Strange.

The 50th Match will be contested Sept. 6-7, 2025, at Cypress Point Club, which has hosted only one USGA competition, the 1981 Walker Cup, won by the USA, 15-9. The USA leads the all-time series, 38-9-1.

Actual Grow The Game Files: Notah Begay Junior Golf National Championship On Golf Channel

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While a lot of Tour pros think they are growing the game by their mere presence in exotic dictatorships where public beheadings are a thing, others are actually trying to grow the game.

On Wednesday December 8th from 7-9 p.m. ET, Golf Channel airs the Notah Begay Junior Golf National Championship. It’s the culmination of a two-stage, 30 regional effort to reach the finals. Named after and started by the former Tour player and NBC analyst along with former Golf Channel colleague Ryan Burr, who will be part of ESPN+’s PGA Tour Live Coverage team in 2022.

Burr’s son is an accomplished junior golfer and like many exposed to that world, wondered if there was a better way to help kids get tournament experience and seen by coaches without some of the AJGA’s excess. He pitched the concept to Begay who has long given back to various causes, including junior golf.

This will be the second time the event airs on television and gives some older juniors a chance to shine. Last year Lance Christensen got some attention with a 357 yard drive and ended up getting a golf scholarship to New Mexico State.

The National Championship played 54-holes with four divisions: Boys 14-18, Boys 13 & Under, Girls 14-18 and Girls 13 & Under. 

More impressive is the encouragement of participation by kids and the promise to pick up entry fees if they can’t afford it. They are also offering a giveaway of free entry fees for the entire Begay Junior Golf Tour schedule for the lucky kid who answers a trivia question. Nice work guys.

World No. 1 Amateur Earns His Way Into Masters, The Open

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Keita Nakajima is the third Japanese golfer to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship after beating Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho in a playoff.

The 21-year-old Nakajima is now headed for the 2022 Masters where a practice rounds seems inevitable with defending champion Hideki Matsuyama.

Nakajima’s win caps off a stellar year for Japan golf. Besides Matsuyama’s historic win, Nasa Hataoka lost in the U.S. Women’s Open playoff and More Inami was the silver medalist in Tokyo.

Final round highlights and the trophy ceremony attended by Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley and R&A Chief Martin Slumbers:

Asia-Pacific Amateur Kicks Off With Winner Earning A Spot In The Masters, The Open

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Just a reminder to American audiences that the 12th Asia-Pacific Amateur kicks off Wednesday after a one year hiatus. It’s also the first playing since Hideki Matsuyama, a former two-time winner of the event captured the Masters.

They’re playing the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, which is most famous for its clubhouse and a floating tee. No one in the field cares where they’re playing with the winner earning and invitation to the Masters and The Open at St Andrews.

You can follow the scoring here.

Coverage times:

Finally: Amateur Golfers Can Cash In On NIL! Just Don't Charge For A Lesson

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It was a brief but glorious time in which college golfers could cash in on their name, image, likeness and really good golfing ability—as long as they didn’t give a less or accept cash prizes over $750. And now it’s over, as all amateur golfers of all ages can cash in on endorsements, assuming such deals are not in conflict with their league eligibility. See your local compliance officer for more details.

Below is the press release. You’re better off going to one of these links:

Guidance Notes (scroll a lot to get to the above embedded portion on how to go full logoclad).

Glorious infographics for those golfers who like pretty pictures instead of that pesky fine print.

Rules of Amateur Status.

For Immediate Release:

Golf's Modernized Rules of Amateur Status Published 

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. USA AND ST ANDREWS, Scotland (Oct. 26, 2021) - Golf’s new Rules of Amateur Status have been published by the USGA and The R&A ahead of their January 1, 2022, effective date.  

The work is the latest step by the governing bodies to make the Rules easier to understand and apply and follows the modernization process of the Rules of Golf in 2019. The new Rules were informed by golfer and golf industry feedback as a part of a comprehensive review, to ensure they continue to reflect how the modern game is played by millions of golfers around the world.

This review, along with the global feedback received when the proposals were publicly shared earlier this year, reaffirmed amateur golf’s important position in the game and the value in maintaining amateur status Rules. 

The result is a set of Rules that removes many of the restrictions that previously applied to amateur golfers, while ensuring that the integrity of the game is protected by limiting the form and value of the prizes an amateur golfer can accept. 

As part of the modernization effort, the new Rules identify only the following acts that will result in a golfer losing their amateur status:

  • Accepting a prize with a value exceeding the prize limit ($1000/£700) or accepting prize money in a handicap competition.

  • Playing as a professional.

  • Accepting payment for giving instruction (although all current exceptions still apply, such as coaching at educational institutions and assisting with approved programs).

  • Accepting employment as a golf club professional or membership of an association of professional golfers

To achieve this simplified approach, the following key changes have been introduced:

  • Distinguishing between scratch and handicap competitions in terms of the prizes that may be accepted.

  • The prize rule applies only to tee-to-hole competitions played on a golf course or a simulator, but no longer apply to long-drive, putting and skills competitions that are not played as part of a tee-to-hole competition.

  • Eliminating all advertising, expense-related and sponsorship restrictions.

The new opportunities provided by lifting sponsorship restrictions and the ability to accept prize money up to the increased limit of $1000 or £700 in scratch-only competitions will be of significant benefit to elite amateur golfers looking for ways to fund golf-related expenses.

“Golf is unique in its broad appeal to both recreational and competitive players,” said Craig Winter, USGA senior director, Rules of Golf and Amateur Status. “This was emphasized in the feedback we received earlier this year and we believe these updates will help simplify these Rules and ensure the long-term health of the amateur game, not only to those who compete at the highest level of amateur golf, but for the millions of golfers at every age and skill level who enjoy competitive events at their home courses.”

Grant Moir, Director of Rules at The R&A, said, “We are delighted to be rolling out the modernized Rules of Amateur Status today. These Rules play an important role in protecting the integrity of our self-regulating sport, but the code must evolve to meet the needs of the modern game. This is particularly important for modern elite amateur golf, where many of the players need financial support to compete and develop to their full potential. The new Rules give them this opportunity and will help to make the game even more inclusive.” 

The new Rules are accompanied by guidance notes, an overview document and explanations that detail the rationale for why changes have been made and, in some instances, why they have stayed the same. 

These materials can be found at www.usga.org/amateurstatus

The New Look Of Amateur Status: Stanford Golfer Announces Agent For NIL Deals

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With name, image and likeness opportunities now available to college golfers, it’s not a surprise to see golfers landing agents or deals.

The first I’ve seen to go public in announcing an agent signing: Stanford’s Rachel Heck, class of 2024 and joining the Excel stable of golf clients that includes Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Gary Woodland. Heck notes her agent contact bio in her Twitter bio as any good NIL pursuer would, but it’s still surreal to see amateur golfers open for business for any number of reasons. Starting with the inconsistency of non-collegiate elite amateur golfers not able to similarly benefit, merely because they do not go to an NCAA institution.

Meanwhile, Heck has competition on the already loaded Stanford women’s team. Freshman Rose Zhang has won the individual title in her first three starts, reports Ryan Herrington, who shares some wild stats from Zhang’s blazing start.

Quick Curtis Cup Primer (Now That It's Started)

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I’m a little embarrassed to have forgotten the Curtis Cup is a three-day affair and therefore is well underway at Conwy Golf Club in Wales.

I also know little about the course but this slideshow reveals a very enjoyable and scenic links worth taking this opportunity to scout out.

The lead cart drivers are Sarah Ingram for the U.S. and Elaine Ratcliffe for GB&I. The format:

Thursday, Aug. 26
7:45 a.m. - 8:09 a.m. – Foursomes (three matches)
1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. – Four-Ball (three matches)

Friday, Aug. 27
7:45 a.m. - 8:09 a.m. – Foursomes (three matches)
1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. – Four-Ball (three matches)

Saturday, Aug. 28
10 a.m. - 11:10 a.m. – Singles (eight matches)
The Closing Ceremony will immediately follow play

The GB&I team roster.

Team USA.

Live scoring can be viewed here.

I also can’t get the image of a toilet out of my head after someone asked if the logo resembles one:

If you want to continue the links season a little longer and live in the U.S., here are the telecast times:

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The Quadrilateral: Oakmont Adds Clarity To Distance Debate

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Oakmont’s 10th and 11th holes (Google Earth)

Oakmont’s 10th and 11th holes (Google Earth)

"The Garbage Putter" From The Garage That Won A U.S. Amateur

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Blade connoisseurs wondering what that was James Piot used to win the U.S. Amateur will get all of their questions answered in this game story from GolfChannel.com’s Brentley Romine. It’s quite a story!

“I was too cheap to go buy a putter, so I looked in the basement and, Oh, this thing is here, and then I went back to it probably middle of summer,” Piot said. “I putted lights out in the qualifier, so I'm like, This thing is going to stick.”

The 2008-vintage PING putter goes for around $60 on ebay.

Quadrilateral Preview: U.S. Amateur Returns To Oakmont

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Oakmont’s third hole in 2016 (Geoff Shackelford)

Oakmont’s third hole in 2016 (Geoff Shackelford)

The last time we saw Oakmont, the USGA was having a rough Sunday and Diana Murphy capped it all off with a stirring trophy ceremony presentation since scrubbed from the interweb.

For the kind paying folks who subscribe to the Quadrilateral, I preview what to look for this week, the final before college golfers can cash in on name, image and likeness.

U.S. Women's Am Champ Survived 12-For-2 Playoff, Three Matches After Falling 2-Down

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You have to admire the resilience of U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion Jensen Castle surviving a playoff and several down moments, only to prevail in Sunday’s finale at Westchester CC. Oh, and she opened stroke play qualifying with a 79!

Adam Woodward’s game story from Harrison, New York included this:

After surviving a 12-for-2 playoff just to advance from stroke play, Castle was apparently meant to be a champion. For the third time in six matches this week, the Kentucky junior came back from 2-down, this time against Arizona junior Yu-Chiang (Vivian) Hou, to win the 121st U.S. Women’s Amateur, 2 and 1.

“It still hasn’t registered. I mean, it feels like just another tournament,” she said moments after the win on just one hour and 45 minutes of sleep. “But then I sit back and I’m like, ‘This is a USGA event with so much history.’ All the exemptions I didn’t even realize. I was just lucky I could play.”

David Shefter’s game story for the USGA official site touches on the incredible nature of Castle’s win given all of the holes she put herself in, becoming the Castle is the third No. 63 seed in USGA history to win a title since seeding began in the mid-1980s.

Castle defeated Yu-Chiang (Vivian) Hou, 2 and 1 in Sunday’s 36-hole final at Westchester CC.

Bandon Dunes, USGA Form Long-Term Agreement: '29 Walker Cup, Men's And Women's Amateurs In Same Year

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What a great thing for amateur golf (or whatever we’ll call it as members of Team TaylormadeFilaSxrionCallaway and TeamAcushnetFJUnionGreen descend on Bandon Dunes in 2045).

Most exciting besides the 2029 Walker Cup and the 2038 Curtis Cup in which most of the contestants were just born, are the men’s and women’s amateurs going there in 2032 and 2041. It’ll be interesting to see how those are structured—they have time!—but it’d be neat to have the stroke play starting for one as the other is wrapping up (check out dates are non-negotiable for all but the finalists!).

The full USGA release on a substantial commitment to the resort over the next 24 years but starting almost immediately:

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort to Host 13 USGA Championships 

Long-term relationship kicks off with 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship 

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (July 20, 2021) – The USGA and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort today announced an agreement that will bring 13 USGA amateur championships to the resort over 23 years. The relationship will begin with the 74th U.S. Junior Amateur in 2022 and run through the 2045 U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships, with eight different championships being played at the resort, including the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur, the Walker Cup Match and the Curtis Cup Match.

The 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur will be conducted from July 25-30, with Bandon Dunes serving as the host course for both stroke play and match play, and Bandon Trails serving as the second stroke-play course. Dates and courses for the other championships will be announced in the future. 

The resort will host both the U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Amateur in 2032 and again in 2041, marking the first time those two original USGA championships will be contested on the same site in the same calendar year. The resort will also host the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior in 2045, which will mark the fourth time those championships will be conducted at the same facility in the same year. The agreement also includes the 2029 Walker Cup Match and the 2038 Curtis Cup Match. 

“With five championship-caliber courses and incredible support from the resort’s ownership, Bandon Dunes is the perfect location for these USGA championships,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director of Championships. “Mike Keiser has been an incredible advocate for amateur golf and his ongoing support for the USGA and our mission served as the vision for this partnership. We are excited to work together for years to come.”

The 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship will be the first U.S. Junior Amateur and eighth USGA championship hosted by the resort, making Bandon Dunes the first site to host eight different USGA championships. It will be the 39th USGA championship held in Oregon. 

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort previously hosted the 2006 Curtis Cup Match (Pacific Dunes), the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur (Bandon Dunes), the 2011 U.S. Amateur Public Links and U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links (Old Macdonald and Bandon Trails), the 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball (Pacific Dunes), 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (Old Macdonald and Pacific Dunes), and the 2020 U.S. Amateur (Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails). 

“I love amateur golf. What the USGA does for amateur golf and to grow the game is exceptional. I built Bandon Dunes for all amateurs to enjoy the great experiences and spirited competition that golf provides, and we are thrilled to be hosting the USGA’s signature amateur championships for years to come,” said Mike Keiser, the owner of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. “We are particularly grateful to Mike Davis, who has been an advocate for Bandon Dunes since the resort’s earliest days. Amateur golf will always have a place at Bandon Dunes, and this commitment from the USGA is significant. We welcome all the great championships that the USGA will bring to the resort as Bandon Dunes is the home of amateur golf.”

The 73rd U.S. Junior Amateur Championship is being played this week at the Country Club of North Carolina in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. 

Future USGA Championships at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort:

2022     U.S. Junior Amateur

2025     U.S. Women’s Amateur

2029     Walker Cup Match

2032     U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur

2035     U.S. Girls’ Junior

2037     U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball

2038     Curtis Cup Match

2041     U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur

2045     U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior

Whew: College Golfers Can Unveil Their Brand Rollouts ASAP, Other Am's Must Wait Until January

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I know many of you are clamoring to buy some NFT’s and personal-logoed items from top college golfers and Ryan Herrington reports on the USGA paving the way for players to cash in.

The unlocking of NCAA name, image and likeness started immediately for most sports, with athletic departments creating in-house teams to develop logos and brand campaigns for both current athletes and recruits. What could go wrong there?

Anyway, non-college golfers can climb aboard the gravy train while other amateurs must wait for relaxed USGA/R&A amateur status rules to take hold in January. Let the merch flow!