Great Britain & Ireland seek home advantage in Walker Cup
Friday 11 September 2015 18:22, UK
Great Britain and Ireland will hope to benefit from home advantage in this year's Walker Cup at Royal Lytham and St Annes, according to Gavin Moynihan.
The 2015 hosts have won just once in the previous five editions of the biennial event, which consists of eight foursome matches and 18 singles matches played across two days from September 12-13.
Jordan Spieth, Harris English, Russell Henley and Peter Uihlein were all part of America's 2011 team that lost to Great Britain and Ireland, and Moynihan says playing on a Links course could prove vital to him and his team-mates.
Moynihan, the Scottish Open Stroke Play Champion, is the only player who has previous Walker Cup experience in Nigel Edwards' team.
"Home advantage is huge this week I think because the Americans have never seen Lytham like this ever," said the 20-year-old, who is the sole survivor from the side beaten 17-9 at National Golf Links in 2013.
"It was very firm at National two years ago, but it's a different level since we got here on Monday. It was green on Monday and now it's like bronzy.
"You see the 18th, once you hit the fairway it's gone, 80, 90 yards of run. I think that's a huge thing for us as we play in it a lot. Most of the boys are members at links courses, as well.
"A lot of tournaments over here are won with two, three over par and Americans are used to shooting four, five, six under. I think that type of golf suits us and we are in a better mindset."
USA captain John Miller will be able to include the Open's leading amateur, Jordan Niebrugge, in his side.
And Miller, who appeared in the Walkers Cup as a player in 1999, says he wants his team to learn from America's recent Ryder Cup defeats as they bid to defend the trophy.
"Without being critical of anyone in regards to the Ryder Cup, I would say that my overall takeaway was that I wanted to make this competition more fun," said Miller.
"I want each player to vest in the process. Each one of them has as much input as I have. Yes, there will be a hard decision or two to make, and I'll make it, but they are the ones that are doing the playing, and I'm listening to them.
"We've had pretty much consensus agreement on everything. It's not me as an autocrat saying one thing or the other."
