At the start of the week the Walker Cup bubble boys knew that this was their last, best chance to impresses the USGA and earn one of the few remaining Walker Cup spots. As the tournament enters the round of 16 on Friday afternoon, none of them remain. Jordan Niebrugge and Michael Weaver both fell yesterday in the round of 64: Brandon Hagy and Bobby Wyatt quickly followed, going out in the round of 32 Friday morning. Having failed to make a deep run, all that they can do now is sit back and wait to see if they have done enough for a pick. As there is no objective selection system, they have no real way of knowing where they stand with the Walker Cup committee.
One thing they do know though is that there are not enough spots for all of them. With the new mid-Am requirements there are, at best, three remaining spots. It is hard to believe that the USGA would leave off its own amateur champion, if the champion was an American, which would then leave two open spots. Therefore, you can bet all the players on the bubble are rooting hard for an international winner (their are 8 left in the tournament) or Patrick Rodgers, the lone American already named to the team left in the tournament. Either way, the next few days promise to be anxious ones.
Add Comment