Muirfield, Scotland, home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.

On May 15, 1959, it was opening day for the Walker Cup, a biennial affair between amateurs from the U.S. doing battle with golfers from Britain and Ireland.

Although the U.S. had won 16 of the 17 previous championships, the hype was whether the “Whiz Kids” could stand up to the challenge.

Jack Nicklaus, 19, Ohio State; Tommy Aaron, 21, University of Florida; Deane Beman, 21, University of Maryland and Ward Wettlaufer, 23, Hamilton College.

The experienced bunch were all successful businessmen. Team captain Charles Coe, 33, Harvie Ward, 30, Bud Taylor, 33, William Patton, 33 and Bill Hyndman, 37.

“Whiz Kids,” Nicklaus, Aaron and Beman would go on to make their historical marks in the professional ranks. Wettlaufer would join the business world and continue to blaze the amateur trails. In fact he had already blazed an unlikely golf trail, coming out of small Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y.

A native of Buffalo, now living at Eagle Creek, recalled those days. While the others basked in golf’s limelight by going to major colleges, Wettlaufer played on a team that wasn’t about to frighten anyone.

“Besides myself, I don’t think we had two people that could break 80,” he said. “It didn’t matter, I loved the competition and developed quickly.”

He also had a father, Sam, who was willing to give him a chance to see if he wanted to turn professional. It was his parents, Sam and Betty, who got him started in golf because he saw how much they enjoyed playing.

“I was fortunate to have a father who went along with my playing golf,” he said. “He told me that if I took on golf as a job, and worked hard, he would pay for my golf. Instead of working the summer days of college I worked hard at golf.”

Work he did.

In 1956 alone he was the low amateur at the Canadian Open, NCAA Championship runner-up, Bermuda Amateur champion and the top amateur at the prestigious Tam O’Shanter World Amateur Championship.

“In those days the first prize for the professional was $50,000 and $1,000 for each exhibition after,” Wettlaufer recalls. “That was huge money in those days when most tournaments paid $1,500 for first place to the professional.”

In 1958 Wettlaufer was the U.S. Amateur Championship semifinalist, then winner of the Eastern Amateur Championship in 1958 and 1959 and made the NCAA All-American First Team in 1958 and 1959.

Coe knew he had a good player in Wettlaufer and he got to find out how good.

Wettlaufer talked about the edge the “Whiz Kids” had before they even played the tournament’s first hole.

“Beman loves telling the story of when we arrived (at Muirfield) in late afternoon, with Jack, Deane and I going out to play a few practice holes,” Wettlaufer said with a smile. “It was later in the day but in Northern Scotland in summer it stays light until 11 p.m.

“There were some sports writers who decided to walk along and watch us play. We could all hit the ball a long way. After four holes one of the writers said, ‘We might as well go in and have a pint because it doesn’t look very good for the Brits.’”

Wettlaufer had played as an amateur in The Masters before huge crowds, but this was different at Muirfield.

“I was now playing for my country before some 8,000 people,” he said.

In the Walker Cup the first day paired golfers, playing up to 36 holes in match play. Today it is 18 holes. The players alternated shots.

“I don’t remember how, or why, Jack and I opted for me to hit the first tee shot,” Wettlaufer said. “All I know is that when they announced my name, playing for America against the British and Irish, I felt a little pressure.”

Maybe more than a little as Wettlaufer hit his tee shot into the left rough.

“That was not a big help to Jack,” he said.

At first neither were in the groove, combining for a 40 on the front nine. They settled down on the second nine, shooting 35, but still trailed by two holes going into the last 18. That’s when the U.S. team made their move, getting back those two holes and when Nicklaus made a key putt on the 35th hole they had won, 2 and 1.

The next day was eight singles matches. Like team play the matches were up to 36 holes. Today both are 18 holes.

“I played Michael Lunt, a very good player who had won the English Amateur Championship,” Wettlaufer said. “I was three under par after 18 holes and six under par when the matched ended at the 14th.”

In 1959, Joseph Dye Jr., then USGA executive director, said of his play, “Ward Wettlaufer turned in the most spectacular golf of the day, being five under after 31 holes, shooting a 69 in the morning (for 18 holes). Neither Michael Lunt, nor anyone else, could have stood against that, and the Buffalo boy won 6 and 5.”

Nicklaus also won his singles match, downing W. Dickson Smith, 5 and 4.

The two accounted for three points, equaling the opposition’s total., as the U.S. won 9 to 3.

“Playing for your country was pretty exciting,” Wettlaufer said. “The USGA and British Golf Association provided wonderful dinners, with all the players, coaches and officials attending. We received our green jackets with the Walker emblem on them, significant of winning the event.”

On Wednesday golfing legend Jack Nicklaus spoke of his friend.

“Ward Wettlaufer was one of my best friends when we played amateur golf. Ward was in my wedding, and I was in his wedding. We were very close. Ward and I played a lot of amateur golf and had a lot of great times together.”

Wettlaufer recalled how he and Nicklaus would “take on all comers in practice rounds. We were only beaten once, by Billie Joe Patton and Charlie Coe. Jack not only could hit the long ball he was an excellent shot maker.”

Nicklaus acknowledged Wettlaufer’s golfing abilities.

“I think Ward Wettlaufer was an absolutely wonderful player,” Nicklaus said. “He was a great long-iron player, a wonderful 1-iron player. Ward had a very nice, sort of upright motion through the ball. Good hand action. Ward was a truly great player for a long time, and, I am proud to say, a great friend for even longer.”

While the others stayed on to play in the British Open, Wettlaufer went back to Hamilton College.

“I had received a college pass to play and had to get back to take my exams, he said. “Education was the important thing.”

In pondering turning pro, Wettlaufer weighed the golfing life with the business world.

Arnold Palmer did a lot for golf and was the big name then, but I doubt he made $60,000 that year,” Wettlaufer said.

“The next closest golfer was probably $40,000. The pros traveled in house trailers with their families, or paired up, staying in expensive hotels, eating hot dogs. Golfing great Ben Hogan almost pulled out of the tour.”

A man named Gary Player, now a golfing legend, shares Wettlaufer’s birth date, Oct. 31, 1935.

“When I was thinking a bout turning pro, Gary Player made a remark that stuck with me,” Wettlaufer said. “When he turned pro he said he had to learn how to make up four shots every round because of the scores turned in by the pros.”

After a number of business interviews he decided to work in the family business, Wilsolite Corp., which distributed printing materials for the packaging industry, back in his hometown of Buffalo.

“I started at the low end of the totem pole,” he said. “I received no preferential treatment. I reported to another person, not my father.” After 15 years he took over the family business.

Beman had a successful golf career then took over for Dye as PGA Tour director.

“Dye groomed Beman for the job,” Wettlaufer said. “He advanced professional golf by negotiating television and sponsor contracts, while providing the resources for growth and development.”

Wettlaufer continued his amateur golfing prowess, winning his Country Club of Buffalo championship 22 times over five decades. He also was inducted in the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. He was ranked in the top 10 in the National Amateur Golf Standings four times. He was named U.S. Senior Amateur Man of the Year in 1996.

His golf strategy is the same: Pick a number you want to shoot for the front nine and work on it, not what the opponent is doing,” he said. “Never watch the opponent. On the back nine pick a number again and shoot for it. I found that it was a good way to play.”

He said he is not as long a hitter, that his long game is “so-so. I have improved my short game dramatically.”

Wettlaufer and wife Tracy have been married 44 years. They have two sons, Dale and Ward Jr. and a daughter, Varick. The family is involved in EPIC, Every Person Influences Children, in Buffalo.

He is also involved in the Eagle Creek program that provides a summer camp for Title I students, who come to Eagle Creek for golf, tennis and swimming. This year the students, 24, came from Parkside Elementary School in Naples, while in previous years it was the Manatee Elementary School.

Wettlaufer provides golf instruction. In both programs his goal is to have some kind of impact on their lives.

Sally Lamb, Eagle Creek program director, says the program incorporates sports skills to pass onto others, while also providing leadership examples.

Wettlaufer continues to work on his game and on occasion he breaks 70.

“For me it is part of my lifestyle,” he said. “I like a friendly game of golf.”

The U.S. continues it Walker Cup superiority today, with a record of 35-5-1. The U.S. team won again last weekend, edging its opponent 12 1/2 to 11 1/2.