Martin Dempster: Lots of exciting Walker Cup captain options if R&A goes down pro route

Not every announcement by The R&A proves unpopular, as witnessed by a positive reaction to Catriona Matthew being appointed as the Great Britain & Ireland captain for next year’s Curtis Cup at Sunningdale.

Paul McGinley, the winning European captain in the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, played in the 1991 Walker Cup and could be a contender for a future captain. Picture Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.

Along with the USGA, the St Andrews-based governing body might have a fight on its hands over a bid to roll back the ball at the elite level in men’s golf, both in the professional and amateur game.

But, in total contrast, a decision to shake things up with the Curtis Cup captaincy appears to have been met with widespread approval and, of course, it begs the question about the Walker Cup possibly going down the same route.

It was a penalty kick, of course, with Matthew in terms of becoming the first professional to be Curtis Cup captain on the back of the North Berwick woman leading Europe to back-to-back Solheim Cup successes in 2019 and 2021.

Catriona Matthew has become the first professional to be appointed as Great Britain & Ireland's Curtis Cup captain. Picture: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images.

It was just a case, really, of whether she wanted to take on the role and, having played three times against the Americans in the biennial event in her amateur days, the answer to that was ‘yes’.

Matthew is already involved with Scottish Golf in a mentoring role and has seen her long-time friend and Solheim Cup vice captain, Kathyrn Imrie, return from the US to take up a performance role with that organisation within the past year.

The 2009 AIG Women’s Open champion is lightly-raced these days when it comes to playing competitive golf herself and, therefore, it’s the perfect time to see if she can work a bit of magic as a leader in another team event.

With GB&I having only managed to come out on top twice in the Curtis Cup in the last 13 stagings, the most recent resulting in a heavy defeat at Merion, it’s certainly going to be a tough task.

But so, too, was trying to prevent the Americans from making it three Solheim Cup wins in row at Gleneagles then trying to become just the second European captain to taste victory on US soil at the Inverness Club in Tulsa.

So, who are the contenders if The R&A does indeed have something similar in mind for the Walker Cup, which sees the former Amateur champion, Stuart Wilson, leading the home side into battle at St Andrews in September?

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington is an obvious name to jump out, having played three times in the event and also due to the Irishman having served as a Ryder Cup captain, albeit a chastening experience at Whistling Straits in 2021.

Stephen Gallacher, one of Harrington’s team-mates on a winning side at Royal Porthcawl in 1995, is another possibility, especially as he’s set to captain Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup in Rome in September.

And what about Colin Montgomerie and Paul McGinley? Monty played in two Walker Cups and McGinley one before they went on to become victorious Ryder Cup captains in 2010 and 2014 respectively. Just think how exciting it would be for the best amateurs in GB&I to have either of them as captain for the 2025 contest at Cypress Point in California.

Yeah, it’s very much a case of hats off to Martin Slumbers and his team for making a very good call on Matthew and here’s hoping it’s the start of a bold new era for both the Curtis Cup and Walker Cup.