1977 – Shinnecock Hills GC

USA 16 – 8 GB&I

August 26-27, 1977
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Long Island, New York
6,740 yards / Par 70

Captains: Lewis Oehmig (USA) and Sandy Saddler (GB&I)

Day 1 Foursomes (USA players first)
John Fought / Vance Heafner beat Sandy Lyle / Peter McEvoy 4&3
Scott Simpson / Lindy Miller beat John Davies / Michael Kelley 5&4
Dick Siderowf / Gary Hallberg lost to Ian Hutcheon / Peter Deeble 1 hole
Jay Sigel / Michael Brannan beat Allan Brodie / Steve Martin 1 hole
USA 3 – GB&I 1

Day 1 Singles
Lindy Miller beat Peter McEvoy 2 holes
John Fought beat Ian Hutcheon 4&3
Scott Simpson beat Gordon Murray 7&6
Vance Heafner beat John Davies 4&3
Bill Sander lost to Allan Brodie 4&3
Gary Hallberg lost to Steve Martin 3&2
Fred Ridley beat Sandy Lyle 2 holes
Jay Sigel beat Peter McKellar 5&4
USA 6 – GB&I 2

Day 1: USA 9 – GB&I 3

Day 2 Foursomes
John Fought / Vance Heafner beat Ian Hutcheon / Peter Deeble 4&3
Lindy Miller / Scott Simpson beat Peter McEvoy / John Davies 2 holes
Dick Siderowf / Bill Sander lost to Allan Brodie / Steve Martin 6&4
Fred Ridley / M. Brannan lost to Gordon Murray / Michael Kelley 4&3
USA 2 – GB&I 2

Day 2 Singles
Lindy Miller beat Steve Martin 1 hole
John Fought beat John Davies 2&1
Bill Sander lost to Allan Brodie 2&1
Gary Hallberg beat Peter McEvoy 4&3
Dick Siderowf lost to Michael Kelley 2&1
Michael Brannan lost to Ian Hutcheon 2 holes
Fred Ridley beat Sandy Lyle 5&3
Jay Sigel beat Peter Deeble 1 hole
USA 5 – GB&I 3

Match Result: USA 16 – GB&I 8

Series Results: USA 23 – GB&I 2 – Halved 1 (after Match 26)

Delano Studios 1977 Walker Cup 7 1/4″ x 5 1/4″ Ceramic Tray (Photo: Golden Age Auctions) 

Match Notes

The Walker Cup introduced the exclusive Shinnecock Hills GC to the golfing public in 1977 and returned the match to Long Island where the first contest had taken place at the neighbouring National Golf Links of America in 1922.

Lewis Oehmig became the third non-Walker Cup player to captain the USA team.

Jay Sigel (32) and Peter McEvoy (24), two career amateurs who would become synonymous with the Walker Cup, both made their debuts for USA and GB&I respectively.

John Fought and Lindy Miller delivered a full house of four wins for the Americans. Vance Heafner, Scott Simpson and Jay Sigel were also unbeaten winning all three of the games they were selected for.

Fred Ridley also played for USA. He is the last U.S. Amateur champion (1975) to never become a professional and went on to become President of the USGA in 2004 and Chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club in 2017. As you can see from the above results he beat Sandy Lyle twice in Singles. Lyle, who would go on to become a two-time Major champion, played in his only Walker Cup but lost all three of his games.

Unusually there were no Irish or Welsh players in the GB&I team with all of the players coming from England (5) and Scotland (5). The absence of these players led to the English and Scots forming cliques and as a result the squad never gelled as a team.

Alan Brodie, who arrived in Long Island as the recently crowned Scottish Amateur champion, earned three points out of a possible four, for GB&I. During the opening ceremony the USGA President asked if anyone had attended the 1922 match at the neighbouring National Golf Links. For reasons unknown Alan’s father Willie, who had never previously left Scotland, stepped forward alongside two elderly local gentleman.

Michael Bonallack continued his involvement with the match as Chairman of Selectors for the GB&I side. In a post mortem he bemoaned the lack of course management and short game skills demonstrated by the visiting team.

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