A familiar call went out from Quaker Ridge after Britain and Ireland had been overwhelmed in the biennial Walker Cup matches last weekend. And the answer will remain the same: there isn't the slightest prospect of officials following the lead of the Ryder Cup by incorporating Continental European players.
"I wouldn't ever want to have Europe involved," said the victorious US skipper, Downing Gray. "We have a legacy here that goes back to 1922 and we're not playing for money, we're playing for the love of the game."
Therein lies the key to a maintenance of the status quo, despite the fact that Sunday's 18-6 stroll extended America's record in the series to 31 victories, one tie and only four defeats from 36 encounters.
Advocates of change express the fear that the series might die for lack of serious competition. They point to the concern of Jack Nicklaus about the future of the Ryder Cup after the Americans had won by 12 1/2 to 7 1/2 at Royal Lytham in 1977 - a concern that led to the formation of a European side two years later.
Nicklaus warned the then president of the British PGA, Lord Derby, that American players were losing interest in the series because of the unbalanced nature of the results. The response was immediate and in the space of only five years, the entire complexion of Ryder Cup competition had changed.
But Walker Cup competition is different for two crucial reasons. Firstly, as Gray pointed out, there is no money involved. And secondly, there is little chance of players tiring of the event insofar as the vast majority of them make only one appearance.
As Clive Brown, non-playing captain of the European team put it: "This is more than a golf match. It is a celebration of friendship between the USGA and the R and A and to my knowledge, the possibility of changing the format has never been discussed."
Meanwhile, British and Irish officials must examine how it was that a useful-looking team was so comprehensively outplayed only two years after a memorable victory at Royal Porthcawl. In my view, it had to do with the fact that players from these parts simply don't drive the ball as straight as Americans. And then there was the fiercely competitive approach of the home side.
"Nobody had forgotten about the closing ceremony in 1995," said US veteran, John Harris. "It was the most humbling experience I've ever had in sports. We had to just stand there and take it. That feeling lasted for two years and we came here with a mission: everyone wanted to win points."
The majority of the visiting players, including Keith Nolan and Richard Coughlan, were intimidated by the tree-lined fairways of Quaker Ridge. As it happened, it was not a particularly tight course but the trees and heavy rough were clearly intimidating.
As the week wore on, the British and Irish players became more fearful of driving into trouble. So they reverted to irons off the tee, conceding a major advantage to the Americans with approach shots to tight targets.
Scotland's Steven Young, the outstanding player in the visiting side, turned professional yesterday. Nolan and Coughlan will be following him into paid ranks next month.
When they do, the disappointment of last weekend will fade rapidly. And like their predecessors in Walker Cup teams, they will be left with the memory of having reached the pinnacle of amateur representative achievement. And they will scoff at the notion of change.
