1973 Walker Cup Winner and Match Scores

The 1973 Walker Cup was the 24th time this competition took place. Following the United States victory, the all-time standings were 21 wins for Team USA, two wins for Team GB&I, one tie.

Final Score: United States 14, Great Britain & Ireland 10

Dates Played: August 24-25, 1973

Location: The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts

Team Captains: David Marsh for Great Britain & Ireland, Jess Sweetser for the United States

Team Rosters:

  • GB&I — Michael Bonallack, Howard Clark, John Davies, Rodney Foster, Charlie Green, Peter Hedges, Trevor Homer, Michael Kim, William Milne, Hugh Stuart
  • USA — Douglas Ballenger, Danny Edwards, James Ellis, Vinny Giles, Michael Killian, Gary Koch, Gary Pfeil, Bill Rogers, Dick Siderowf, Marty West
Notes: In the previous competition, the 1971 Walker Cup, the Americans lost for only the second time in tournament history. Here, Team USA earned a hard-fought win over Team GB&I, beginning by winning 3.5 of the available 4 points in the opening foursomes session. GB&I won the following singles session, however, and Day 1 ended with the USA holding a one-point margin.

Day 2 began with the USA again earning 3.5 of the foursomes point. That included a 7-and-5 victory by Vinny Giles and Gary Koch over Rodney Foster and Trevor Homer, at the time a new Walker Cup record for biggest win in an 18-hole foursomes (a record since surpassed).

The American side led 10-6 at that point, and then the teams split the Day 2 singles for the final four-point margin of victory. This was the start of an 8-match win streak for Team USA — Team GB&I didn't win again until the 1989 Walker Cup.

Danny Edwards led the U.S. with a perfect record in four matches, only the second golfer in Walker Cup history to go 4-0-0. The American captain, Jess Sweetser, was a record-setter: At age 71 years, 4 months he remains the oldest-ever Walker Cup captain. In 1922, Sweetswer won the U.S. Amateur on the same course, The Country Club in Brookline.

For Team GB&I, Michael Bonallack made the last of his eight playing appearances. That is second only to Joe Carr in the GB&I recordbook for this tournament. Bonallack also ranks second for GB&I in career match wins in the Walker Cup (8, second to Gary Wolstenholme) and career points earned (9.5, second to Wolstenholme).

1973 Walker Cup Results

Day 1

Foursomes
  • Michael King/Peter Hedges, GB&I, halved with Vinny Giles/Gary Koch, USA
  • Dick Siderowf/Mark Pfeil, USA, def. Hugh Stuart/John Davies, GB&I, 5 and 4
  • Danny Edwards/Jimmy Ellis, USA, def. Charlie Green/Willie Milne, GB&I, 2 and 1
  • Marty West/Doug Ballenger, USA, def. Rodney Foster/Trevor Homer, GB&I, 2 and 1
Score after first session: USA 3.5, GB&I 0.5

Singles

  • Vinny Giles, USA, def. Hugh Stuart, GB&I, 5 and 4
  • Dick Siderowf, USA, def. Michael Bonallack, GB&I, 4 and 2
  • John Davies, GB&I, def. Gary Koch, USA, 1-up
  • Howard Clark, GB&I, def. Marty West, USA, 2 and 1
  • Danny Edwards, USA, def. Rodney Foster, GB&I, 2-up
  • Michael King, GB&I, def. Mike Killian, USA, 1-up
  • Charlie Green, GB&I, def. Bill Rogers, USA, 1-up
  • Willie Milne, GB&I, def. Mark Pfeil, USA, 4 and 3
Score of second session: GB&I 5, USA 3
Cumulative score after two sessions: USA 6.5, GB&I 5.5

Day 2

Foursomes
  • Vinny Giles/Gary Koch, USA, def. Trevor Homer/Rodney Foster, GB&I, 7 and 5
  • Howard Clark/John Davies, GB&I, halved with Dick Siderowf/Mark Pfeil, USA
  • Danny Edwards/Jimmy Ellis, USA, def. Peter Hedges/Michael King, GB&I, 2 and 1
  • Bill Rogers/Mike Killian, USA, def. Hugh Stuart/Willie Milne, GB&I, 1-up
Score of third session: USA 3.5, GB&I 0.5
Cumulative score after three sessions: USA 10, GB&I 6

Singles

  • Charlie Green, GB&I, halved with Vinny Giles, USA
  • John Davies, GB&I, def. Dick Siderowf, USA, 3 and 2
  • Danny Edwards, USA, def. Trevor Homer, GB&I, 2 and 1
  • Hugh Stuart, GB&I, def. Jimmy Ellis, USA, 5 and 4
  • Marty West, USA, def. Michael King, GB&I, 2-up
  • Mark Pfeil, USA, def. Howard Clark, GB&I, 1-up
  • Willie Milne, GB&I, def. Mike Killian, USA, 2 and 1
  • Peter Hedges, GB&I, halved with Gary Koch, USA
Score of fourth session: GB&I 4, USA 4
Overall and final score: USA 14, GB&I 10

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1971 Walker Cup | 1975 Walker Cup

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