COLLEGES/AMATEURS
By the numbers
The Walker Cup is a biennial match pitting the best male amateurs from the U.S. against those from Great Britain and Ireland. The U.S. hosted the two-day event at exclusive Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida on May 8-9 and, as the home team, were the favorites. But a gritty GB&I squad dug in on the firm, fast and windswept venue. In the end, the U.S. prevailed by a two-point margin of 14-12, retaining the Cup for another two years.
Rankings aren’t everything
There was never a head-to-head match at Seminole Golf Club where a GB&I player out-ranked his opponent. The Americans were wildly ahead according to the rankings. The closest Sunday singles match, according to the World Amateur Golf Rankings, was the one between Alex Fitzpatrick (No. 12) and Pierceson Coody (No. 2). Coody birdied the 17th hole to close out Fitzpatrick for the second day in a row. Ranking doesn’t account for much in Fitzpatrick’s mind – especially not in match play. In fact, a better ranking might even create more pressure. “The chances are that the higher-ranked player is probably a better player, but that doesn’t mean that they’re going to win,” he said.
Spotlight on: Ricky Castillo
Castillo, a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Florida, played in all four sessions for the Americans and went 4-0 on the week. He became just the sixth U.S. player – and seventh player on either team – to record four wins in a single Walker Cup this century. “I felt good all week,” Castillo said. “Just my game has been coming around. I’ve been hitting the ball a lot better. Everything is kind of piecing together. It was a lot of fun out there. The course was tough.”