A Change For the Better

I cannot cheer loudly enough the decision by the USGA today to require that two Mid-Amateurs be on the US Walker Cup Team.  For those not familiar, the Walker Cup is the amateur version of the Ryder Cup--with a team from the US taking on a team from Great Britain and Ireland (no continental Europe in this one) every two years in match play competition.  For the last twenty years, the US side has been a college All-Star team--almost exclusively featuring 23 and under players on scholarship somewhere.  It mirrored the match play bracket of the US Amateur every year--college kids--without anyone who has used up their eligibility within site.

And that is why the USGA created the Mid-Amateur competition in the first place--because those of us not on scholarship can't just spend five hours a day working with a trainer in the gym (for free), working with a swing coach and short game guru (for free), using an all-seasons, tour-quality driving range with launch monitors and SwingTech equipment (for free), playing university-owned golf courses (for free) and playing in top level competitions all across the country (for free).  Some of us have to go to work.  And some of us have to go to work in climates that don't allow us a chance to even swing a club for five months a year.  Yet to make the Walker Cup, you would have to overcome that competitive disadvantage to somehow get selected to the team.

Buddy Marucci was the last Mid-Am star player I can remember playing Walker Cup--making the team in his early-40's.  But now, the "working stiff" gets a chance to play.  And every other year, those guys will be my favorite players on the team.  Can you imagine going from trying to win your Thursday afternoon Partners League at the Club to St Andrews to represent your country?

USGA Vice President Thomas O'Toole, Junior touched on another great advantage to adding a few "old guys" to the team as well: “Mid-amateurs, who are seasoned players, are likely to bring a unique perspective to a team and demonstrate, as well as appreciate, the characteristics of leadership and generosity of spirit that are central to the Walker Cup. It is the positive influence mid-amateurs will have on the Walker Cup experience and our strong commitment to amateur golf that causes us to reach this determination.” 

So let's hear it for the USGA's renewed commitment to the "real amateur" golfer and continuing to expand their opportunity to compete on a level playing field.  Now, if we could just get a National High-Handicapper Championship (10+ only)--with the winner getting an invitation to the Masters and automatic qualification in the US Open!