For the first time since the early 1990s, the incoming U.S. Walker Cup captain will not serve consecutive matches.
The USGA announced on Wednesday that Mike McCoy will lead the Americans against Great Britain and Ireland in September 2023 at the Old Course at St. Andrews, and Nathan Smith has been selected to captain the U.S. in 2025 when the Walker Cup visits Cypress Point. The U.S. captaincy, which has largely been served in two-match terms for the last four decades, is being reworked because of the legendary venues.
It will be the first time since the 1991 (Jim Gabrielsen) and 1993 (Vinny Giles) Walker Cups when an incoming U.S. captain did not serve two consecutive matches.
“Both Mike and Nathan have long, exceptional histories with the USGA and outstanding amateur golf resumes,” USGA president Stu Francis said. “Given the historic nature of the next two matches being staged at St. Andrews and Cypress Point, we wanted to give both of them the time to enjoy this leadership opportunity and plan their next few years accordingly. We congratulate each of them on an honor well deserved and look forward to watching them lead two talented USA teams.”
McCoy, a 59-year-old from Des Moines, Iowa, won the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur and played on the 2015 Walker Cup team. He has competed in 65 USGA championships and has 11 Iowa Player of the Year honors to his credit.
After getting the call from Francis, a longtime friend, McCoy was overcome with emotion. He describes St. Andrews as one of his all-time favorite venues and a place where “you can’t help but feel the history.”
“It’s certainly going to be a highlight of my life,” McCoy told Global Golf Post. “I want this to be a great experience for these kids. I want them to understand how important it is to represent your country, what an honor it is. Those are the things I really want to get out of it. It’s going to be a terrific journey.”
McCoy’s lone Walker Cup experience came in a lopsided loss on the road at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in England. That was the last time GB&I won the event, as the Americans have since claimed three straight victories. McCoy said he watched last year’s Walker Cup at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida, where he is a member, and it brought back memories of the 2015 edition and everything that came before it.
“The real memory was just the pursuit of making the team,” McCoy said. “Those were the great days. But really, I cherish the relationships with the guys on the team and the relationship with (captain Spider Miller) who has become a very close friend.”
Smith, a 43-year-old from Pittsburgh, captured a record four U.S. Mid-Ams and went 3-4-1 in three Walker Cup appearances (2009, 2011 and 2013). He was a part of two Walker Cups on American soil, both being dominant U.S. victories, and secured the winning point in 2013.
“I was blown away when I got the call. It’s the biggest honor of my life,” Smith told GGP. “It was great to play for two different captains (Buddy Marucci and Jim Holtgrieve), and I think I learned a lot from how they went about it. I think I’ll use some different captains to run some things by, but I think the biggest thing is to understand your lineup. You want your players to be comfortable with who they are playing with.”
Smith mentioned a couple of interesting notes heading into his captaincy. One is that, although he has competed in events all over the Monterey Peninsula, he has never played Cypress Point. Also of note given the roughly 3 1/2-year notice before the 2025 Walker Cup, is that Smith mentioned plans to possibly attend a U.S. Junior Amateur or other junior events, given that some of his future team likely is younger than 18 at the moment. He also plans to visit St. Andrews for the 2023 event.
“I’m excited to do this at a younger age, maybe being able to relate to the guys and get to know them over the next few years,” Smith said. “Hopefully my parents, my family and everyone can be there in good health. And you get an incredible site like Cypress, it feels like it all just came together.”
Last year’s event at Seminole was moved to May to avoid the peak of Florida’s hurricane season, allowing players such as Davis Thompson and Tyler Strafaci to turn professional shortly after the event, with the summer season still ahead of them. That dynamic won’t be in play for the next two matches, as the Walker Cup has returned to its traditional September date.
The 49th Walker Cup is set to take place Sept. 2-3, 2023. St. Andrews, the revered “home of golf” in Scotland, has hosted eight Walker Cups – the most of any venue – but this will be the first match at the historic links since 1975, when future major champions Curtis Strange and Craig Stadler led the U.S. to victory.
Meanwhile, the 50th Walker Cup will take place Sept. 6-7, 2025. Cypress Point has hosted only one USGA championship, the 1981 Walker Cup, when the winning American squad included Hal Sutton and Corey Pavin.
The Americans lead the overall series, 38-9-1, though the matches have been more balanced in recent decades. Since 1995, the U.S. has won eight times against GB&I’s six.
Sean Fairholm