Ireland's Keith Nolan and Richard Coughlan will be in action morning and afternoon, when the 36th Walker Cup matches against the US get under way at Quaker Ridge today. For Nolan, the draw could be viewed as a reward for intensive pre-tournament work in getting an ailing game back into top shape.
"I've struggled since I got here but I'm beginning to get it right," said the Bray international during final preparations here yesterday. Coughlan, on the other hand, had no such worries. "My game's great," he said. "The real boost was changing my irons from graphite to steel shafts two weeks ago."
In this afternoon's singles, Nolan in at number five against 21-year-old Randy Leen, who was leading amateur in the US Open at Oakland Hills last year. Coughlan, meanwhile, is at number seven against Carl Woollmann, 22, winner of the 1996 Northern Amateur and an alternative for the 1995 Walker Cup side.
Both Irish players will have strong support from home with a contingent of 22 from Bray GC, which includes the current captain, Paddy Murphy.
Coughlan has had a tremendous build-up to this biennial clash. While the side were practising at Caves Valley, Baltimore last Monday, the 23-year-old set a course record 65 which contained an eagle and four birdies. The eagle at the 535-yard third was the product of a three-wood second shot to two feet.
Then, on his first experience of Quaker Ridge on Tuesday, he had a hole-in-one at the 224-yard 13th, where his three-iron tee-shot found the target. When there was no response from the club, Coughlan gently reminded them of his feat. Yesterday, there was a congratulatory notice displayed.
"I'm really enjoying my golf right now," said Coughlan. "After this, I'm returning home for the interpros rather than play in the US Amateur. But I don't think I'll be available for the Home Internationals. I'm turning pro next month and I want to enter the first European qualifying school, which clashes with it."
He went on: "I also intend to go for my US card. In fact I plan to settle here and I am looking at a place to live at Hilton Head."
Barclay Howard, who is retiring from representative golf after this event, has been given the honour of leading the visiting side into battle in the opening foursomes this morning, with fellow Scot Steven Young. Nolan will partner the experienced Gary Wolstenholme while Coughlan is in the anchor position with the Welsh newcomer, David Park.
Given its apparent stuffiness, it came as something of a surprise to discover that Quaker Ridge offers equal status to women, most of whom are either the wives, widows or daughters of male members. Needless to say, admission is not easily come by, even at an entrance fee of $45,000.
The reason it hasn't staged major fixtures has to do with the extremely limited parking facilities and the absence of a practice ground. This week, the teams have used part of the 17th and 19th fairways for practice purposes.
Temperatures were a decidedly moderate 75 by mid-day but oppressive humidity prompted the players to maintain a steady intake of water. Meanwhile, we had the incessant background noise of the cicada, a large bug indigenous to the area, which makes a hell of a racket apparently by rubbing its hind legs together.
In assessing the possible outcome of the match, it makes more sense to look at the individual talents of the competing sides, rather than the outcome of recent clashes. For instance, how could one rationalise an all-time record defeat of 19-5 for the British and Irish side at Interlachen in 1993, with an historic 12 1/2 to 11 1/2 victory at Peachtree four years previously?
Similarly, it is difficult to base this weekend's prospects on the 14-10 British and Irish win at Royal Porthcawl two years ago, given that each team has only three survivors from that battle - John Harris, Jerry Courville and Buddy Marucci for the US and Howard, Graham Rankin and Wolstenholme for Britain and Ireland.
In my view, this is a fairly moderate visiting side, whereas the Americans look to have a very talented line-up, characterised by the brilliance of 19-year-old Steve Scott and the solid experience of 45-year-old Harris. It is difficult to predict anything other than a comfortable home win.
Today's pairings: Foursomes - (Britain and Ireland first) B Howard and S Young v B Elder and J Kribel; J Rose and M Brooks v J Courville and B Marucci; G Wolstenholme and K Nolan v J Gore and J Harris; R Coughlan and D Park v R Leen and C Woollmann. Singles - C Watson v S Scott; Young v D Delcher; Howard v Elder; Rose v Kribel; Nolan v Leen; G Rankin v Gore; Coughlan v Woollmann; Wolstenholme v Harris.
