George W Bush calls the Walker Cup one of many 'best athletic occasions'

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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif – With the Pacific Ocean’s waves crashing on the shoreline only a brief wedge shot away, former President George W. Bush provided his greatest needs to this weekend’s Walker Cup opponents.

"I like the Walker Cup. I feel it’s one of many nice athletic occasions – ever," Bush stated throughout Friday’s opening ceremony.

The sun-drenched Cypress Level Golf Membership – a minimum of within the afternoon — is that this 12 months’s host. It’s simply up the Monterey Peninsula shoreline from the extra well-known Pebble Seashore Golf Hyperlinks. However this course is revered by golf aficionados for its holes alongside and over the ocean and its use of the adjoining sandy dunes and craggly cypress pines elsewhere on the property.

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Former President George W. Bush reacts whereas watching gamers from the U.S. crew follow earlier than the Walker Cup Match in opposition to the Nice Britain and Eire crew at Cypress Level Membership in Pebble Seashore, California, on Sept. 5, 2025. (AP Photograph/Jeff Chiu)

First contested in 1922, that is the fiftieth time the perfect male novice golfers from the United States will compete in opposition to their counterparts from Nice Britain & Eire in a contest named for the previous president’s great-grandfather.

"You recognize, G.H. Walker had a number of youngsters – who then had a number of youngsters," Bush stated about his household’s connection to this occasion. "And a number of them are right here and doubtless questioning how come I’m the man who will get to talk on the Walker Cup and so they don’t. My reply is: run for president."

Over its historical past, a number of the recreation’s greatest have competed within the Walker Cup earlier than going to larger glory, together with Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. Time will solely inform if any of this 12 months’s 20 opponents – most of whom are in faculty – will be part of that illustrious group.

On house soil and on a four-match successful streak, the U.S. crew, a minimum of on paper, appears to have the benefit. The world’s prime six ranked novice gamers, together with primary Jackson Koivun of Auburn University, are on the U.S. squad.

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An indication welcomes individuals to the fiftieth Walker Cup Match at Cypress Level Golf Membership in Pebble Seashore, California, on Sept. 5, 2025. (Lee Ross/Fox Information)

"It is the most effective golf programs I've ever performed," Koivun stated Thursday. "I used to be lucky sufficient to play right here my freshman 12 months of faculty, and simply to return again, play within the Walker Cup right here, the golf course is in nice form. You suppose a lot round this place. It is simply really one of many particular factors of golf."

Of the ten American gamers, 4 hail from Texas.

The highest ranked participant (#10) from GB&I is Tyler Weaver of England, who performs his faculty golf at Florida State University.

"I do not suppose the rankings imply an excessive amount of at an occasion like this," Weaver stated. "Clearly, they have some actually high-ranked gamers as nicely, however our crew can be nice, and the rankings on the finish of the day do not actually imply an excessive amount of."

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An outline of a number of holes of the Cypress Level Golf Membership, the place the Walker Cup will probably be performed in Pebble Seashore, California, on Sept. 5, 2025. (Lee Ross/Fox Information)

However the participant making essentially the most noise throughout follow rounds this week is Luke Poulter, who made 4 eagles, together with his first ever ace.

"[Thursday] was fairly cool holing out on gap one after which two holes later getting my first hole-in-one, in order that was fairly particular," stated Poulter, son of seven-time Ryder Cup participant Ian Poulter. "The sport is nice. [The] course is in unbelievable situation, so no complaints on that. I really feel actually good, snug, and able to get this match began."