91Èȱ¬

good round up Iain, cheers.
i think GB&I will win it, the team is solid. Young Cutler is a class act, i seen him win the West of Ireland this year, he was awesome

At last our illustrial Blog Poster that is Mr Iain Carter as returned!

I for one cant see anything but a USA win here, and i am confident it will be an easy victory, there team is riddled with class players and the one man that will do the damage is Kelly Kraft! I have watched Kelly and all the talk seems to be about Cantlay but Kelly as just beat Cantlay by two to win the US amateur Championship that i was luck to go and watch a day of as i was on business for 5 days in Milwaukee, this kid is class and so is Cantlay and i am sure we will see majors very soon for these guys.

Verdict - Easy USA Victory.

i really hope some of the young GB&I players arent in the Lee Westwood mould ( Massive chokers and bottlers ) and can get the job done this weekend. Tom Lewis does seem to have the stones to handle pressure. Unlike Lee Westwood who constantly bottles it under pressure.

I think one of the best Walker cup teams i have seen is the GB&I team of 1985...

The likes of Colin Montgomerie, Peter Baker, David Gilford & John Hawksworth, these players struck fear into the USA teams and i dont think we have that anymore in the youngsters we have coming through.

I was wondering how many comments it would take till John Hawksworth got a mention on a fairly difficult subject to get round to JH & the answer is 4 posts!
Whatever happened to poor old Peter Baker? He was firing all cylinders and then fell away to the challenger didn't he?
To be honest I know little about amateur golf but the walker cup of 89 sounded tasty!
I also happened to notice that we have an exciting finish at the weekend potentially in holland with bob rock,ken ferrie,rors & that famous 'choker' LW in prime position.Rors and Caro double for the weekend?

Westwood choking again with a shoking round today. what a bottler!
Ahh good aul John Hawksworth, no blog is complete without mentioning him.

What a marvellous win by GB&I.
Down to earth for US Amateur Champ Kelly Kraft who went 0-4.
Hopefully, Iain, you and the 91Èȱ¬ will continue to cover the exploits of the Team as they move on to the next stage of their golfing careers.
(If not, readers will certainly find them covered in the golf pages of www.606v2.)

Coincidentally of course, Simon Dyson also won today, a veteran (with golfers such as Casey, Donald, Storm) of the 1999 Walker Cup winners who beat Byrd, Kuchar, Molder etc, at Nairn.

@kwiniaskagolfer it as been widely speculated all weekend that Kelly Kraft as been suffering from Tennis Elbow, which may explain his bad form, i dont know how true this is but my mate said he was speaking to Bob Bubka up there at the weekend and that was what he said.

On another note i see Lee Westwood yet again Choked and Vommited at the final Hurdle, when is this man going to step up to the plate!

And i would also like to congratulate Robert Rock on proving your critics wrong.

I must say that genuinely I am not a confrontational guy but I really must say that the people who disrespect a ryder cup hero and all rounbd decent spud LW by saying he is a choker are talking nonsense if they are using landmarks like robert rock as comparisons.Although westwood is similar to monty on the major choke front possibly,he has been a stellar tour player and in comparison to players like rock he is another galaxy.
@mickysausage, you congratulate robert rock for what?
Finishing mid pack in an average european tour event?
Winning next to nothing in his career ( i may be wrong but I do believe one tournament?),being only a few years younger than Lee(34 is not spring chicken material) who has won all over the world,about 300 odd tournaments,been in countless ryder cup heroic matches & a past number 1?
I like everybody on this site and respect their opinions but to call Lee a vomiter or choker is plain wrong.
Why do you not highlight the negatives on robert rock and the unlikelihood he will even get into the top 20,rather than No.1?
I really don't know what i read sometimes but everyone is entitled to their opinion!!
And yes rors didn't win but did well and also forget about rock,ferrie,brian davis,john hawkswith,best ball strikers etc... The best golfer in england at the moment may just be dyson??!!!well done to him!!!!

PS 30 odd tournaments for lee,not 300,crikey!!!hahaha

look at comment number 1. Bilo gets it right again. Cutler was awesome. probably the best player.
Agree with mickysausage, Lee Westwood choked again. he'll never win again, his confidence is lower than a snakes belly to the floor. As a former world #1 he's a disgraceful bottler.
Agree with mickyweir about Dyson, i have always said Dyson is arguably the best English player about. And not a choker like Lee Westwood.
p.s thats true about Kelly Kraft, he was injured, he'd pulled his wire 2 days before the tournament started.

@bilo - 'a disgraceful bottler?' 'pulled his wire?'
You need a yellow card for that surely??!!
The Lee Westwood comment is harsh to say the bare minimum.
I know of some digraceful acts in life but he has yet to be involved in any of them IMHO.
OJ Simpson,Pakistani cricketers,joey barton in the past,ben johnson,marion jones blah blah etc... are disgraceful but not our lee,stalwart of the ryder cup.

Mickweir- totally agreed with your comments about Lee Westwood. This guy has achieved a high level of success in his career- 2 Order of Merits, 35 wins, reached world no1, fantastic ryder cup record. Also he managed to claw his way back up to the summit of the game from the depths he sank to circa 2001-2002. This takes amazing dedication, "bottle", courage and pure will.
It is astounding that he is being lambasted while so called leading lights such as Kenneth "Ferrie Across the Mersey", Robert "Can you smell what the Rock is cooking?" and Brian "greatest ball striker to ever have graced god's green earth etc......" Davis are being championed........................

cont.................... I'm a huge LW fan and if i was English I would be extremely proud to have LW representing the nation as a sportsperson. As far as I can see, as well as being hugely successful, he has always conducted himself with humility and sportsmanship, is a gentleman off the course and puts his family first.
Critics- lay off this guy, he has achieved more than you ever will. It is outrageous that, on a blog about the Walker Cup, you have taken the opportunity to lambast a brilliant English sportsperson, rruly baffling.

Ps. Mickyweir- great to see another Irishman Cutler as the star of the Walker Cup. However they were all brilliant- that was an extremely strong US team and beating them was a magnificent achievement. Could Cutler soon become NI's 4th different Major Champion in recent times?

I hope so sir but I ain't in the business of talking nonsense generally and my knowledge of amateur golf is little to none.I have read about cutler and I sat in a bar in belfast recently where a guy told me that he is destined to be better than rors but I can't buy that.I never really got into the walker cup,I was a traitor watching the dutch whilst flicking across the rugby,soccer saturday and perusing the scores of other stuff.
I am a large sports fan and the rugby wc is a big thing also so it is all go but that is another blog!
Look JK, I'm a fan of the persecuted if I feel their case is just and when it comes to LW,RM,DC or even TW, I will weigh in with my pound of flesh defending them as they are hardly a serial killer?!!
I have followed golf since I was a kind and seen alot of what I would call B+ guys and monty,mark james,sam torrance,ken brown,paul broadhurst,des smyth,barry lane etc... come into this category along with the recent rose,poulter,westwood,garcia,casey,levet,hansen,stenson,donald types who are close to an A but can't get over the line, as in a major.Golf and sports like tennis are judged by majors and if you don't win one,your legacy is hit badly.
I think lee etc.. is in focus now with this and people jump on the late 30s/early 40s guys with no majors in the same way Andy Murray will suffer if he doesn't grab a big 4 crown.It is the landmark they are judged Jeff but disgraceful or choker is OTT,the guy like you say is a legend and shown great bouncebackability from his issues.
Can you imagine if he does win a major? Career complete then..Good luck to him I say.

Belfast eh mickyweir! thats where i'm from. fancy a pint in the Bot to continue the debate?!
As you can see from the very first point i know my golf....said Cutler would be the star. thats why i am also right about Lee Westwood! and about John Hawksworth!

We are all right in our own heads I guess and that is sport and opinions.
I am little old for the bot although I did attend in my student days!
Get back to you on that one as I am only in belfast occasionally but the offer of drink and kinship is noted and appreciated.
I am away to research John Hawksworth as it is now beyond belief how much he features in this blog and all I know is that he ain't no legend in my book,but maybe so if research it!

Once upon a time John Hawksworth hit a great 3 iron....... the end........... however somehow we are still talking about him...... truly mind boggling...... pretty soon, if we're not careful, he will be destined for the same cult notoreity as one Chuck Norris!!

Like you Mickyweir I cannot pretend to know much about the amateurs on the GB&I team. I was glad that I managed to catch the final days action from the Walker Cup, some excellent golf and most impressively the match was played in a great spirit, wonderul sportsmanship displayed and respect between the two groups of players.

i'm a bit of a duke of york man or mchughs! let me know if you fancy a pint and debate! make sure your studied up on John Hawksworth though...ill be testing you!

jeffkenna.....John Hawksworth...the new Hoff?!

Thanks for the coverage this weekend Iain, nice additions using twitter etc... but worried about the decline in the quality of 91Èȱ¬ coverage which started at the Opn this year. The early end to the Walker Cup coverage on Sunday was surprising, but I consoled myself with the notion that the closing ceremony and trophy presentation would be on the highlights or red button.......... eh, nope.

Is this a long lingering death for the 91Èȱ¬ televised Golf coverage?

Rankis, lay off Iain and the 91Èȱ¬. they are doing a class job. We all love Iain, leave him alone and stop bullying.

Bilo- the Hoff has won as much in golf as John Hawksworth-less!

LOL, delicious irony in BilboMcT rushing in to be the high protector of decency after all his comments about LJW. :)

no need for that Rankis! We have proof that Lee Westwood is the ultimate choker. We have proof that Iain Carter is king of the blogs and golf coverage. back off or i think you'll get the wrath of Don247, Sumo82 and mickysausage! They are Carter's biggest fans!

@mickyweir and @JeffKenna, what as Westwood actually accomplished though apart from being a good journeyman and earning a good living? The tournaments that he as won are mediocre tournaments that only he enters, i think the best he as won is the St Jude Classic, he as only won two tournaments since 2009 one of them the St Jude and the other the Ballantines Championship (whatever that is?) You may aswell say Westwood is the same as Monty because Monty actually had 40 pro wins(more than westwood) yet you still call him a bottler? Westwood is a choker and at least Monty actually had a chance to win a major, Westwood bottles his chances before he even gets to the 18th.

Robert Rock as proved is current for by being picked for the Sevie Trophy ahead of some big names, he is Nailing his critics!

@Rankis havent you got Sky? The coverage on Sky is second too none and the commentary is fair also, good coverage for the GB&I guys and for the Americans, the Walker Cup hasnt had the same coverage since Howard Clarke, Tim Barter, John Hawksworth & Ken Brown were poached by Sky. Now we are stuck with Sue Barker, Hazel Irvine and the jokes that are Ken Brown & Peter Alliss! How them two guys can even speak about golf is a joke, Sky coverage much better. The only thing keeping the Golfing going for the 91Èȱ¬ is Iian Carter!!

Crickey!, Rankis realises he has crossed paths with a vipers nest from the Iain Carter Fan Club and slinks off back to his mundane working life (although secretley he is a member of the Iain Carter fan club too........ ;)

Crickey! Rankis realises he has found some hard edged IC fans and slinks off back to his mundane working life (despite the fact he is a secret IC fan too ;)

Mickysausage- and just how many large tournaments have messrs Stenalink Ferrie, The Rock and Brian "best ball striker ever in the world ever and if he'd been born in the 40s he would have won more majors than that big blonde Jack Nicklaus fella (whoever he is)" Davis? (to answer you question they have won 5 events collectively). And how many Ryder Cup appearances/points won? Zero. Still there must be some logic behind your affirmation that they are ahead of Lee Westwood (23 event wins, 6 top 3s in majors (top 3 hardly being a "failure" as you make it out to be) exceptional Ryder Cup record) in the list of English golfers.

Peter Alliss a joke mickysausage? Wow! Wow! An institution and nostalgia of the finest.I accept your comparison of monty / LW but wee lee isn't finished yet! Think dc and he has 4 years minimum,monty is a goner.
You ask what lee has ever done and if you are being serious (i suspect there are people winding sensibly guys up on this blog) the answer is simple.He has been number 1,been 'in the mix' numerous times and only one can win and there are 4 majors per year.Do the maths.No.1,not a wannabe like robert rock etc...
I genuinely can't take some of the debates seriously here as lee is a ledge,rock is 34 and has won one tournament! Wake up lads!

@mickyweir accept my apologies for the Peter Alliss comment, thats me typing when trying to work, haha i meant to put Ken Brown & Andrew Cotter, absolute jokes them men, Peter Alliss as been roumoured to be going to sky i have heard, this would finally kill golf for the 91Èȱ¬

Alliss does need to step aside. remember when he didnt even realise that Phil Mickleson had won the Masters! ' Its a Play Off '....eh not so sure Peter!

As Peter Alliss was 80 this year, I wonder which Sky you mean he's rumoured to be going to, mickysausage?
I hope he continues for a few years yet and with the 91Èȱ¬. Firstly because he's an encyclopedia of golfing memories and keeps the game's history and ethics in our minds, and secondly because as long as BSkyB has a Murdoch on its board and Murdoch money in its capital, I refuse to put a penny in that family's pockets.

I used to love watching 'around with Alliss' but he did used to wear some shocking trousers !

@playunextyear Alliss as been roumoured to dislike the direction that the 91Èȱ¬ are taking sport, with its lack of coverage etc etc, and Sky have offered one final swansong of joining his good friends Butch Harmon, John Hawksworth and Bob Bubka, you will also find that Rupert and James Murdoch are no longer CEO's of BskyB and it is now run by Jeremy Darroch, Bob Kelly and Ray Smith CBE. Murdoch only actualy owns 39.1% and his bid too takeover collapsed so your saying you dont want sky when 60.9% is owned by other parties? Wierd. I think its probably time that Alliss hung up his golf shoes BiloMct because he is obviously losing his marbles.

Sumo82, do you remember Alliss used to dress like Rupetrt the Bear?!

My dad always used to say to me that Alliss will always be remembered for his shot at the 1969 open at royal Lytham he hit a 1 iron (yes 1 iron not many people could hit this club) into a cross wind on the long par 3 5th, catching the fringe and rolling to stop on the edge of the hole before (apparantly) the wind blew it in after 3 secs, i am yet to see this but my dad said Alliss was a great ball striker!

Bilo, i do remeber them trousers!!
He also did a follow up to the 'around with Alliss' series called 'who the hell is Alliss'
it wasn't as well known but it was miles better, he used to do trick shots! Peter Alliss is to golf what John Virgo is to the world of snooker, a legend.