-----------------------------------------------------
-By Alistair Tait
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England — Spider Miller has decided to sit Bryson DeChambeau, the reigning NCAA and U.S. Amateur champion, from the opening session of the 45th Walker Cup.
DeChambeau, an SMU senior, will be benched for the opening foursomes along with mid-amateur Scott Harvey. The strong Scottish pairing of Grant Forrest and Ewen Ferguson will be out for the Great Britain & Ireland team.
DeChambeau and Harvey will play in the afternoon singles, with Lee McCoy and Mike McCoy (unrelated) dropping to the bench. Likewise, Forrest and Ferguson will see singles action for the home team, replacing Cormac Sharvin and Jack McDonald.
If any U.S. player was expected to play all four sessions of this Walker Cup, it was DeChambeau. After all, he’s one of only five men – Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ryan Moore being the others – to win the NCAA and U.S. Amateur championships in the same season.
Miller claims he has taken something of a back seat approach to his captaincy, letting the players have a greater say than perhaps previous captains.
It will be interesting later to see whether Miller made this call, or perhaps DeChambeau influenced the decision.
Nigel Edwards, Great Britain & Ireland's captain, won’t be quizzed on his opening lineup to the same extent as Miller, but some will wonder why Edwards dropped Forrest and Ferguson. They are regular playing partners for Scotland, and played a vital role as a pair to help Scotland win this year’s European Amateur Team Championships.
DeChambeau is handed a modicum of responsibility in the afternoon. He will lead the U.S. in the singles draw against strong Englishman Chesters.
Saturday foursomes (U.S. team first)
9 a.m. Maverick McNealy and Hunter Stewart vs. Ashley Chesters and Jimmy Mullen
9:10 a.m. Beau Hossler and Denny McCarthy vs. Paul Dunne and Gary Hurley
9:20 a.m. Jordan Niebrugge and Robby Shelton vs. Cormac Sharvin and Jack McDonald
9:30 a.m. Lee McCoy and Mike McCoy vs. Jack Hume and Gavin Moynihan
Saturday singles
1:45 p.m. Bryson DeChambeau vs. Ashley Chesters
1:55 p.m. Hunter Stewart vs. Paul Dunne
2:05 p.m. Scott Harvey vs. Grant Forrest
2:15 p.m. Denny McCarthy vs. Jimmy Mullen
2:25 p.m. Maverick McNealy vs. Ewen Ferguson
2:35 p.m. Robby Shelton vs. Gary Hurley
2:45 p.m. Beau Hossler vs. Jack Hume
2:55 p.m. Jordan Niebrugge vs. Gavin Moynihan