Bill Haas Named to Walker Cup Team
8/12/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Aug. 12, 2003
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Demon Deacon senior Bill Haas is one of eight U.S. golfers named to the 2003 Walker Cup team, as announced by the USGA this week. Haas will represent the United States at Ganton Golf Club in North Yorkshire, England, from Sept. 6-7, against a 10-member team representing Great Britain and Ireland.
The Walker Cup Match consists of 16 singles and eight foursomes (alternate shot) matches. The Great Britain and Ireland amateur team has won the last two matches, in 1999 and 2001, by identical scores of 15-9. The U.S. leads the series history, 31-6-1.
Haas is joined on the squad by Matt Hendrix of Aiken, S.C. (Clemson), Trip Kuehne of Dallas, Texas, Brock Mackenzie of Yakima, Wash. (Washington), Ryan Moore of Puyallup, Wash. (UNLV), Chris Nallen of Hackettstown, N.J. (Arizona), Adam Rubinson of Ft. Worth, Texas (TCU), and Casey Wittenberg of Memphis, Tenn. The final two selections and alternates to the 10-man USA squad will be named immediately following the U.S. Amateur Championship on Aug. 24. Of the current eight, only Kuehne has previous Walker Cup experience, having played on the 1995 USA team. The captain (coach) of the team is Bob Lewis, 59, of Pepper Pike, Ohio, a four-time Walker Cup team member and three-time USGA championship runner-up.
Haas is making history by playing in his first Walker Cup Match. Along with father, Jay Haas, a long-time PGA Tour player, he is part of the only father-son duo to have competed in a Walker Cup Match (albeit in different years). The elder Haas was a member of the victorious 1975 American squad. Additionally, Jay??s brother and Bill??s coach at Wake Forest, Jerry Haas, was a member of the victorious 1985 American team.
Bill Haas joins a long list of Demon Deacons named to a Walker Cup team but is the first since current Champions?? Tour member Jay Sigel wrapped up his run of nine straight Walker Cup appearances in 1993. The 2003 ACC Player of the Year, Haas has also been a member of the last two Palmer Cup squads.
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The Walker Cup announcement comes on the heels of a victorious weekend for Haas, as he captured the South Carolina State Amateur title this past Sunday with an eight-under 280. Haas posted four consecutive 70s to win by one stroke over Emmett Turner and four shots ahead of Clemson??s Greg Jones. Next up for Haas is the U.S. Amateur, which runs Aug. 18 - 24 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. Haas advanced to the semifinals of last year??s U.S. Amateur after capturing medalist honors in stroke play.