1951 Walker Cup

13th Walker Cup Match
Dates11–12 May 1951
VenueRoyal Birkdale Golf Club
LocationSouthport, Lancashire, England
Captains
United Kingdom
Republic of Ireland
3 6 United States
United States wins the Walker Cup
← 1949
1953 →

The 1951 Walker Cup, the 13th Walker Cup Match, was played on 11 and 12 May 1951, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, Lancashire, England. The United States won by 6 matches to 3 with 3 matches halved.[1][2]

Format

Four 36-hole matches of foursomes were played on Friday and eight singles matches on Saturday. Each of the 12 matches was worth one point in the larger team competition. If a match was all square after the 36th hole extra holes were not played. The team with most points won the competition. If the two teams were tied, the previous winner would retain the trophy.

Teams

Great Britain & Ireland had a team of 10 plus a non-playing captain. The United States only selected a team of 9, which included a playing captain.[3] Frank Deighton was in the Great Britain & Ireland team but was not selected for any matches.

Great Britain & Ireland

United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Captain: England Raymond Oppenheimer

United States

United States
Playing captain: Willie Turnesa

Friday's foursomes

Jimmy Bruen, who was paired with John Llewellyn Morgan, had a recurrence of a wrist injury during his match. The match was close until the 8th hole on the afternoon round but, with Bruen's wrist getting worse, the American pair of Turnesa and Urzetta then won 6 holes in a row to win 5&4. Bruen withdrew from the singles.[4]

United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland Results United States
White/Carr halved Stranahan/Campbell
Ewing/Langley halved Coe/McHale
Kyle/Caldwell United States 1 up Chapman/Knowles
Bruen/Morgan United States 5 & 4 Turnesa/Urzetta
0 Foursomes 2
0 Overall 2

Saturday's singles

United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland Results United States
Max McCready United States 4 & 3 Sam Urzetta
Joe Carr United KingdomRepublic of Ireland 2 & 1 Frank Stranahan
Ronnie White United KingdomRepublic of Ireland 2 & 1 Charles Coe
John Langley United States 2 up Jim McHale Jr.
Cecil Ewing United States 5 & 4 William C. Campbell
Alex Kyle United KingdomRepublic of Ireland 2 up Willie Turnesa
Ian Caldwell halved Harold Paddock Jr.
John Llewellyn Morgan United States 7 & 6 Dick Chapman
3 Singles 4
3 Overall 6

References

  1. ^ "Britain's improving showing in Walker Cup". Glasgow Herald. 14 May 1951. p. 6.
  2. ^ Turnesa, William P. (June 1951). "The Walker Cup Match" (PDF). USGA Journal and Turf Management: 10.
  3. ^ "1951 – Birkdale". walkercup.co.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Walker Cup lead for America". The Glasgow Herald. 12 May 1951. p. 5.