“There is always a great atmosphere and a great bond between both sides. And I do think past players add to the occasion. At each match there aren’t many who have played before. So we provide a bit of continuity. But it’s great just to be here and see everyone.”
Not surprisingly, the Walker Cup has evolved over the years. Perhaps most strikingly, the teams on both sides are a bit younger than they used to be. Almost gone are men in their 30s who work for a living, although both sides this week contain one player in that almost-outdated category - Stuart Grehan for GB&I, Stewart Hagestad for the Americans. But they are the exceptions. Both sides this week are made up of fresh-faced college students.
“The game today is such that the players get better quicker than we did,” says Melnyk. “They have more resources. We kinda scratched it out ourselves. And this year GB&I have a young man 18 years old (Connor Graham), who is playing in his second Walker Cup. That’s hard to imagine. So few good players remain amateur these days. I’m still old-school though. I tell any youngster who asks to get his degree. Not everyone makes it onto the tour. So get your degree and have something to fall back on.”
More on the advice front is that offered by Dalgleish, albeit via Dean Robertson, the current captain of the GB&I side and a playing member of the 1993 team at Interlachen.
“Dean made a great speech last night at the opening dinner,” says Dalgleish. “He wishes he had taken more time to just enjoy the whole experience. So he has prioritised that this week for his team. He’s right too. When I was here I couldn’t have told you anything about Cypress Point before I arrived. Yes, it was fantastic, but I know I didn’t take time to absorb the whole experience. If that is true for others - and I’m sure it is - that has to be one reason why so many come back to watch.”
All of which is undoubtedly true. But this year promises to be even more memorable than most. Following the huge success of the matches played over the Old Course at St. Andrews two years ago, the Walker Cup is on a roll.
“This place is so special,” confirms Melnyk. “If I had one round to play in my life, it would be here. I’ve never seen it in better shape. And the best thing about it is that nothing has been done to the course. This is match play. It’s not about length. Cypress is 6600-yards long and it’s going to be fabulous. It’s going to be so much fun watching these talented young men trying to figure out 70-yard pitch shots that have to be judged perfectly.”
Indeed. Stay tuned. If past history is our guide, more unforgettable memories are about to be made.