The 2013 Walker Cup begins bright and early on Long Island Saturday, with 12 of the 26 available points on the line in two sessions. The first session begins at 7:15 a.m. ET, and the competition starts with four Foursomes matches. Each match, which is the unorthodox alternate shot format, is worth one point.
Walker Cup 2013: Day 1 matches, format, TV schedule and more
It’s the first day of competition at the 2013 Walker Cup, where 12 crucial points are on the line in a full day of match play golf.
Michael Cohen
Unlike some of the other cup competitions, the Walker Cup does not utilize the Four Ball format, which is a game many weekend hackers are most familiar with at their local courses. Instead, the Walker Cup does two days of Singles matches following the morning Foursomes games. The first day of competition will not feature a full 10-on-10 singles slate, with two players from each side sitting down in the afternoon. There are still a critical eight matches and points on the line, and that’s where Team USA can take a hold of the overall match before things ever get to Sunday.
The superstar Cal duo of Max Homa and Michael Kim will be on the bench for Team USA in the morning, but they will be out early in singles at the National Golf Links of America. Jordan Smith and Callum Shinkwin will get to rest in the morning for Great Britain & Ireland, but they’ll also be off early in back-to-back singles matches for Nigel Edwards’ team. The two veterans, players who aren’t recent or current NCAA stars, Todd White and Nathan Smith, will sit down for the USA in the afternoon session while Kevin Phelan and Rhys Pugh will rest for the Brits & Irish. Here’s the complete lineup for Saturday’s two sessions:
Foursomes (Alternate Shot)
Match 1 -- 7:15 a.m.
Nathan Kimsey & Max Orrin (GB&I) vs. Corey Whitsett & Bobby Wyatt (USA)
Match 2 -- 7:30 a.m.
Matthew Fitzpatrick & Neil Raymond Orrin (GB&I) vs. Jordan Niebrugge & Nathan Smith (USA)
Match 3 -- 7:45 a.m.
Garrick Porteous & Rhys Pugh (GB&I) vs. Michael Weaver & Todd White (USA)
Match 4 -- 8:00 a.m.
Gavin Moynihan & Kevin Phelan (GB&I) vs. Patrick Rodgers & Justin Thomas (USA)
Singles (GB&I team member listed first)
Neil Raymond vs. Bobby Wyatt -- 1:00 p.m.
Max Orrin vs. Max Homa -- 1:11 p.m.
Callum Shinkwin vs. Michael Kim -- 1:22 p.m.
Jordan Smith vs. Cory Whitsett -- 1:33 p.m.
Garrick Porteous vs. Jordan Nierbrugge -- 1:44 p.m.
Matthew Fitzpatrick vs. Michael Weaver -- 1:55 p.m.
Nathan Kimsey vs. Justin Thomas -- 2:06 p.m.
Gavin Moynihan vs. Patrick Rodgers -- 2:17 p.m.
Golf Channel will have the broadcast late in the afternoon on Saturday, carrying coverage from 4 p.m. ET to 6 p.m. On Sunday, both teams will come back for another four Foursomes matches and then the full field will be out in the afternoon for 10 singles matches.
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