1922 Walker Cup

1st Walker Cup Match

Dates	August 28–29, 1922
Venue	National Golf Links of America
Location	Southampton, New York
Captains	William C. Fownes, Jr. (USA) Robert Harris (Great Britain)
8 4
United States wins the Walker Cup

The 1922 Walker Cup, the First Walker Cup Match, was played on August 28 and 29, 1922 at the National Golf Links of America in Southampton, New York. The United States won 8 to 4. There had been heavy rain for several days before the event and course was very wet.

Format

In February 1922 the USGA sent an invitation to the R&A to send a team representing the British Isles to America to play a match against a team representing the USGA. It was suggested that 10 players-a-side would be a suitable number. The date suggested was just prior to the United States Amateur Championship in early September. The letter also invited the R&A to send a team of four to the "Walker Cup" to take place at the National Golf Links of America after the Amateur Championship.^[1] The Invitation to play the International Match was accepted.^[2] The R&A appealed to clubs to subscribe to a fund to finance the expenses, estimated at £2000 to £3000.^[3] Expenses to and from the United States were paid together with costs in the United States up until the day of the event, but not thereafter, should the players choose to play in the Amateur Championship.^[4] In April there was still a report of two amateur team events; an 8 or 10 men team match at Brookline and a 4 men team event for the Walker Cup at the National.^[5] The "Walker Cup" mentioned was presumably intended to an multinational team event, similar to that planned for September 1921 but, as in 1921, it seems that no countries accepted the invitation. The 1922 match between America and British Isles became the first Walker Cup.^[6]

There were eight players in each team. Four 36-hole matches of foursomes were played on Monday August 28 and eight singles matches on Tuesday August 29. Each of the 12 matches was worth one point in the larger team competition. Matches level after 36 holes were played to a finish.

The total expense of the trip by the British team was £1,588. £787 was subscribed to the fund financing the tour leaving a deficit of £801. Without the hospitality of the Americans the expenses would have been considerably higher.^[7]

Teams

Team United States

Captain: William C. Fownes, Jr.

• Chick Evans
• Robert A. Gardner
• Jesse P. Guilford
• Bobby Jones
• Max R. Marston
• Francis Ouimet
• Jess Sweetser

Team Great Britain

Captain: Robert Harris

• Colin Aylmer
• John Caven
• Chubby Hooman
• Willis Mackenzie
• Cyril Tolley
• William Breck Torrance
• Roger Wethered
• Bernard Darwin (reserve)

The Amateur Champion Ernest Holderness was unavailable for work reasons. Angus Hambro was to have been captain and reserve but private affairs prevented him from travelling.^[8][9]

The British team left Liverpool on August 3 on the Carmania^[9] and returned to Southampton on September 19 on the Aquitania.^[10]

Darwin, the golf correspondent of The Times, travelled with the team and became the official reserve.^[9] He was added to the team when Harris could not play, having been bitten "by a giant sandfly".^[11] He became "captain in the field" and played the American captain, Fownes, in the final singles match.^[12] Fownes had intended to stand down and reserve Harrison R. Johnston was due to play Darwin but Harris persuaded Fownes to play.^[13]

Monday's foursomes

	Results
Tolley/Darwin	8 & 7	Guilford/Ouimet
Wethered/Aylmer	5 & 4	Evans/Gardner
Torrance/Hooman	3 & 2	Jones/Sweetser
Caven/Mackenzie	2 & 1	Marston/Fownes
1	Session	3
1	Overall	3

Tuesday's singles

	Results
Cyril Tolley	2 & 1	Jesse P. Guilford
Roger Wethered	3 & 2	Bobby Jones
John Caven	5 & 4	Chick Evans
Colin Aylmer	8 & 7	Francis Ouimet
William Breck Torrance	7 & 5	Robert A. Gardner
Chubby Hooman	37 holes	Jess Sweetser
Willis Mackenzie	6 & 5	Max R. Marston
Bernard Darwin	3 & 1	William C. Fownes, Jr.
3	Session	5
4	Overall	8

References

1. "International golf – An invitation from the United States". The Times. February 28, 1922. p. 5.
2. "Golf – Meeting of the Championship committee". The Times. March 3, 1922. p. 8.
3. "British golfers' American tour". The Times. March 31, 1922. p. 6.
4. "Golf – The International Match". The Times. July 6, 1922. p. 19.
5. "The American Golfer – Editorial" (PDF). The American Golfer. April 22, 1922. p. 20 – via LA84 Foundation.
6. "International Match". The Times. July 31, 1922. p. 22.
7. "Deficit on American tour". The Times. December 4, 1922. p. 5.
8. Darwin, Bernard (September 1922). "Our Chances – in which the Well-Known Golfer and Writer Discusses the British Amateur Team" (PDF). Golf Illustrated. p. 13 – via LA84 Foundation.
9. "Golf – departure of British team". The Times. August 4, 1922. p. 4.
10. "British golf team's return from U.S.A.". The Times. September 19, 1922. p. 7.
11. "International golf – U.S. players leading". The Times. August 29, 1922. p. 8.
12. "Golf – America's victory – Another lesson in putting". The Times. August 31, 1922. p. 10.
13. Millard, Charles (2013). "Making History – The Inaugural Walker Cup Match". Walker Cup. p. 24.

• http://www.irishgolfdesk.com/walker-cup-1922/ Irish Golf Desk – Walker Cup 1922

Coordinates: 40°54′34″N 72°27′03″W / 40.909444°N 72.450833°W