1953 Walker Cup Winners and Match Scores

The 1953 Walker Cup was the 14th time this competition took place. Following the United States victory, the all-time standings were 13 wins for Team USA, one win for Team GB&I.

Final Score: United States 9, Great Britain & Ireland 3

Dates Played: September 4-5, 1953

Location: Kittansett Club in Marion, Massachusetts

Team Captains: Tony Duncun for Great Britain & Ireland, Charlie Yates for the United States

Team Rosters:

  • GB&I — Joe Carr, Norman Drew, John Langley, Roy MacGregor, Gerald Micklem, John Llewllyn Morgan, Arthur Perowne, Ronnie White, James Wilson
  • USA — William C. Campbell, Dick Chapman, Don Cherry, Charles Coe, Jimmy Jackson, Gene Littler, Sam Urzetta, Ken Venturi, Harvie Ward, Jack Westland
Notes: Team USA won three of four Day 1 foursomes and six of eight Day 2 singles matches to put away this Walker Cup. One of GB&I's singles wins, however, was by Ronnie White. It was White's fourth consecutive Walker Cup singles win against (to this point) no losses. He did it by erasing a 3-down deficit with six holes to play against Dick Chapman, who was a member at the host course.

Team USA included Jack Westland in the last of his three Walker Cup playing appearances. His first was in the 1932 Walker Cup. That 21-year gap between his first and last playing appearances is second-longest in Walker Cup history.

Westland is one of the golfers tied for another record, too. In foursomes, Westland and Harvie Ward defeated John Langley and Arthur Perowne by a 9-and-8 score. That was the biggest margin of victory ever in a 36-hole Walker Cup match (a record now shared, and one that will never be broken since 36-hole matches are no longer played).

Another golfer on Team USA, Don Cherry, had already started his second career as a singer and bandleader: In 1951, his single, "Thinking of You," peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard chart.

1953 Walker Cup Results

Day 1 Foursomes

  • Sam Urzette/Ken Venturi, USA, def. Joe Carr/Ronnie White, GB&I, 6 and 4
  • Harvie Ward/Jack Westland, USA, def. John Langley/Arthur Perowne, GB&I, 9 and 8
  • Jimmy Jackson/Gene Littler, USA, def. James Wilson/Roy MacGregor, GB&I, 3 and 2
  • Gerald Micklem/John Llewellyn Morgan, GB&I, def. William C. Campbell/Charles Coe, USA, 4 and 3
Score after first session: USA 3, GB&I 1

Day 2 Singles

  • Harvie Ward, USA, def. Joe Carr, GB&I, 4 and 3
  • Ronnie White, GB&I, def. Dick Chapman, USA, 1-up
  • Gene Littler, USA, def. Gerald Micklem, GB&I, 5 and 3
  • Jack Westland, USA, def. Roy MacGregor, GB&I, 7 and 5
  • Don Cherry, USA, def. Norman Drew, GB&I, 9 and 7
  • Ken Venturi, USA, def. James Wilson, GB&I, 9 and 8
  • John Llewellyn Morgan, GB&I, def. Charles Coe, USA, 3 and 2
  • Sam Urzetta, USA, def. John Langley, GB&I, 3 and 2
Score of second session: USA 6, GB&I 2
Overall and final score: USA 9, GB&I 3

Previous and next:
1951 Walker Cup | 1955 Walker Cup

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