George W. Bush Opens Walker Cup Weekend at Cypress Point, Calls Event ‘One of the Great Athletic Events’
Former president praised the biennial U.S. vs. Great Britain and Ireland amateur match as competitors prepare at a coastal course near Pebble Beach
Former President George W. Bush kicked off Walker Cup weekend Friday at Cypress Point Golf Club, offering high praise for the storied amateur competition and wishing competitors well.
"I love the Walker Cup. I think it’s one of the great athletic events — ever," Bush said during the opening ceremony as players prepared for the matches.
The 2025 matches are being held at Cypress Point, a links-style course on the Monterey Peninsula just north of Pebble Beach. The setting places several holes along and over the Pacific Ocean and uses adjacent dunes and stands of cypress trees, features that have helped the course earn reverence among golf aficionados.
First contested in 1922, the Walker Cup pairs the best male amateur golfers from the United States against counterparts from Great Britain and Ireland. This year marks the 50th staging of the event. Players from both sides were seen practicing on the course ahead of the opening matches.
Bush, who has attended numerous sporting events since leaving office, watched players during practice and took part in the ceremonial activities that precede the competition. Organizers and attendees noted the significance of staging the Walker Cup at Cypress Point, whose layout and seaside exposure provide a distinct test for amateurs accustomed to links-style conditions.
The Walker Cup, a biennial contest, traditionally alternates hosts and brings prominence to amateur golf worldwide. The event has been an early stage for many players who later advanced to professional ranks, and it remains a highlight of the amateur calendar.
Competition is scheduled across the weekend as teams complete practice and final preparations. Organizers said the opening ceremony and early rounds set the tone for matches of singles and foursomes that will decide the Cup.
Bush's appearance underscored the event's profile in American sports and drew attention to the match as fans and players converged on the Monterey Peninsula for the 50th playing of the Walker Cup.