Players from Cal, Stanford help U.S. win Walker Cup
Nathan Smith won the deciding point in the United States’ 17-9 victory over Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup on Sunday, beating England’s Nathan Kimsey 4 and 3 in the fifth singles match at historic National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y.
The United States, ahead 8-4 entering the final day in the biennial amateur event, split the four morning foursomes matches and won seven of the 10 afternoon singles matches. Cal’s Michael Kim and Stanford’s Patrick Rodgers prevailed.
“It took a long time to get to the matches, but once I was there, it seems like it just went by real quick,” Kim said. “And you know, winning is great, but to win with these other nine guys who, you know, I’ve known for a while now, it’s special. And to represent your country is always an honor and something I’ll never forget.”
Cal’s Michael Weaver and Max Homa, the NCAA champion as a senior at Cal, each lost after winning Saturday. In Sunday’s morning foursomes, Homa and Kim earned a point for the United States.
The event, first played in 1922 at National Golf Links, is named in honor of former USGA President George Herbert Walker — President George H.W. Bush’s grandfather and President George W. Bush’s great-grandfather. George W. Bush attended the matches.
The U.S. leads the series 35-8-1. In 2011, Britain and Ireland won 14-12 at Royal Aberdeen in Scotland.
“It’s something I have been wanting for a long, long time, particularly after we lost in 2011,” U.S. captain Jim Holtgrieve said. “I was hoping I would get a mulligan for ’13, and when I knew it was going to be at National Golf Links, which is where it all started, I wanted so bad to come here. Yes. I wanted to win, but I wanted to do something good for golf and this, to me, was truly good for golf.”
Smith, a 35-year-old four-time U.S. MidAmateur champion from Pittsburgh, won the par-3 13th and par-4 14th with pars and ended the match with a halve for bogey on the par-4 15th.
“This ranks at the top of the list,” said Smith, who has played in the Masters four times. “I never wanted a point so much in my life. This means the most. I’m happy for Jim.”
Champions Tour: Esteban Toledo won the Montreal Championship for his second victory of the season, chipping in for birdie to beat Kenny Perry on the third extra hole.
Toledo, 50, won the Insperity Championship in May in Texas to become the first Mexican winner in Champions Tour history. He also won that event on the third hole of a playoff, topping Mike Goodes with a par.
Toledo shot a 3-under-par 69 to match Perry at 5-under 211 on La Vallee du Richelieu’s Rouville Course.
Web.com Tour: Andrew Svoboda won the Chiquita Classic in Davidson, N.C., beating Will MacKenzie with a par on the first hole of a playoff in the second tournament of the four-event Web.com Tour Finals series.
Svoboda tapped in for par on the par-5 18th and won when MacKenzie — who chipped in for eagle on the hole in regulation — missed a 5-footer. Svoboda shot a 2-under 70 to match MacKenzie at 12-under.