Walker Cup singles: A better way

ARDMORE, Pa. -- The Walker Cup captains' jobs got a little easier this year when the USGA and R&A agreed to expand Sunday singles from eight matches to 10, allowing everybody on both squads the chance to compete. In years past, the captains had the agonizing task of picking two players to sit out the final session when the Cup is presumably on the line.

"I love having the 10 singles," said U.S. captain Buddy Marucci. "My feeling has always been that you want to try to give everybody an equal opportunity to be on the golf course. With 10 singles on Sunday afternoon, they're all out there. That's a very meaningful time. Hopefully the match will be in the balance. It's very relevant. Everybody is relevant so it's great."

"It's kind of nice on the second afternoon, you know you have all your players out there," added Great Britain & Ireland captain Colin Dalgleish. "I think they've all worked hard to be here and it's quite good they're going to be out there and very much involved in the process of the Walker Cup."

Don't, however, mistake this as a sign that the Walker Cup is one step closer to expanding to a three-day event, like the Curtis Cup did a year ago. There is still a fair amount of debate within both the USGA and R&A about adding another day of play. Marucci, for one, said he isn't quite sure that's the direction the matches should go.

"I'm all for giving the golfers more playing opportunities, but in the context of the two days of play," Marucci said. "I'm not going to a third day is necessarily a good move."

-- Ryan Herrington