1923 Walker Cup Winner and Match Scores

The 1923 Walker Cup was the second time this competition was played by teams of amateur men golfers representing Great Britain & Ireland and the United States. Team USA's victory gave the American side an overall 2-0 lead in the tournament.

This Walker Cup followed by one year the inaugural event. The every-other-year nature of the Walker Cup wasn't established until after the 1924 competition.

Final Score: United States 6, Great Britain and Ireland 5

Dates Played: May 18-19, 1923

Location: The Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland

Team Captains: Robert Gardner for the United States and Robert Harris for Great Britain & Ireland

Team Rosters:

• USA — Davidson Herron, Jimmy Johnston, Max Marston, Jack Neville, Francis Ouimet, George Rotan, Jess Sweetser, Oscar Willing, Fred Wright, Robert Gardner (playing captain)
• GB&I — Orme Bristowe, John Caven, Ernest Holderness, Chubby Hooman, William Hope, Willis Mackenzie, William Murray, Cyril Tolley, Roger Wethered, John Wilson, Robert Harris (playing captain)

Notes: Team GB&I raced out to a 3-1 first-day lead in the 36-hole foursomes matches. But the result reversed in the 36-hole singles matches on Day 2, with Team USA winning five of the last six matches played.

GB&I's John Wilson defeated Davidson Herron in the second-to-last match to even the overall score. But in the final match, Oscar Willing won it for the USA by beating William Murray, 2-and-1.

At the time of the 1923 Walker Cup, halves resulted in zero points to either side, rather than the half-point-to-each-side that is more familiar today. That is why the final score of 6-5 adds up to 11 when 12 matches were actually played.

This was the first of an eventual-record eight times The Old Course was used as the site for the Walker Cup.

1923 Walker Cup Results

Day 1 Foursomes

• Roger Wethered/Cyril Tolley, GB&I, def. Francis Ouimet/Jess Sweetser, 6 and 5
• Robert Gardner/Max Marston, USA, def. Robert Harris/Chubby Hooman, GB&I, 7 and 6
• Ernest Holderness/William Hope, GB&I, def. George Rotan/Davidson Herron, USA, 1-up
• John Wilson/William Murray, GB&I, def. Jimmy Johnston/Jack Neville, 4 and 3

Score after first session: GB&I 3, USA 1

Day 2 Singles

• Roger Wethered, GB&I, halved with Francis Ouimet, USA
• Cyril Tolley, GB&I, def. Jess Sweetser, USA, 4 and 3
• Robert Gardner, USA, def. Robert Harris, GB&I, 1-up
• George Rotan, USA, def. Willis Mackenzie, GB&I, 5 and 4
• Max Marston, USA, def. William Hope, GB&I, 6 and 5
• Fred Wright, USA, def. Ernest Holderness, GB&I, 1-up
• John Wilson, GB&I, def. Davidson Herron, USA, 1-up
• Oscar Willing, USA, def. William Murray, GB&I, 2 and 1

Score of second session: USA 5, GB&I 2
Overall and final score: USA 6, GB&I 5

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1922 Walker Cup | 1924 Walker Cup