The Walker Cup is a series of golf matches conducted biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland (in political terms the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland). It is co-organised by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and the United States Golf Association, and is named in honor of George Herbert Walker (grandfather and namesake of the former President of the United States George H. W. Bush and great-grandfather of the current President), who was president of the USGA in 1920 when the series was initiated. There was an unofficial event in 1921 and annual events to 1924. From that time on it became a biennial event, and it later swiched to odd numbered years. It is played alternately on either side of the Atlantic.

The matches employ a combination of individual, alternate-shot, best ball, and doubles competition in a format similar to the professional Ryder Cup, which also began as a competiton between the U.S. and the United Kingdom; unlike the Ryder Cup, the Walker Cup has never been expanded to make all European amateur golfers eligible to compete.

External link

Official site