Salmonella At Seminole: Walker Cup Set For Sunday Shootout
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The Walker Cup was expected to be a Team USA route given a much stronger roster on paper. But whether it’s the mystery and still unexplained virus plaguing both teams, Seminole’s intricacies, or the value of world rankings, but Team Great Britain and Ireland trails by just two points headed to Sunday’s final day.
Golfweek’s Julie Williams with the day one recap here for Golfweek
Adam Schupak on Pierceson Coody sitting in the morning and overcoming the mystery illness to win in front of grandfather Charles.
Tyler Strafaci tried to warm up but as Craig Dolch reports, bowed out of his Saturday singles match, replaced by William Mouw (who won 4&3).
Good news though: GolfDigest.com’s Ryan Herrington reports on Strafaci’s rough Saturday but says the U.S. Amateur champion is penciled in for 36 holes Sunday.
Mike Trostel with three things to know from the day.
And a super photo gallery with images from Chris Keane and Scott Halleran.
The broadcast was uneven, with some tech issues and little in-depth storytelling other than Steve Burkowski’s always-spot on factoids and backstories. Uninterrupted by commercials thanks to Rolex, John Pak’s 13th hole birdie putt to win the hole was interrupted to tell us about the uninterrupted coverage.
It’s hard to complain without ads and with memories of the last Walker Cup on Golf Channel airing late at night via one-hour highlight shows. And the show was solid on Saturday when matches reached the intricate and volatile finishing holes. When the finishing hole didn’t happen in the afternoon singles, a painful twenty minutes of filler meant the return of a past venues graphic we’d seen at least twice, plus Buddy Marucci’s insipid observations and an awkward attempt to preview Sunday’s possible 18th hole pin.
Actually, a forensic of the 17th green would have been better given that it seemed borderline unplayable. Heck, I’d watch ten minutes of Notah, Bones and Curt Byrum in a putting contest on 17 instead of telling us yet again that the Walker Cup goes to amazing courses.
As always, the aerial views were spectacular. When the late light set in and the impossibly beautiful blue Atlantic looked spectacular, you wished the drone crew looking for Quail Hollow beauty could be at Seminole instead.
Also, real reporting on the virus outbreak would have been nice. Are health officials in the area alarmed that 18 of 24 young men (and their captains) came to town, convened at both a luxury hotel and an ultra-private golf club, only to be met with brutal symptoms requiring trips to the hospital?
That’s potentially a national news story. While not much fun, should have been more thoroughly explained, if nothing else to reassure the USGA’s guests at The Breakers the breakfast buffet is safe.
Anyway, your highlights and celebrity sightings:
