Mark Eley

190. John Harris Has Died Aged 73

22nd September 2025

John Harris, who represented USA in the 1993, 1995, 1997 and 2001 Walker Cup matches, died on 17th September 2025. He enjoyed an impressive P14 W10 L4 D0 record albeit USA only won two of these contests.

He was just 73 and had been ill for some time with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a type of blood cancer that affects the bone marrow.

John Harris (Photo: USGA Archives / John Mummert)

John Richard Harris was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 13th June 1952.

He played ice hockey and golf for the University of Minnesota. In 1974 he won the NCAA Championship with his team in the former and the Big 10 Championship individually in the latter.

After college Harris played both sports professionally but ice hockey, in the minor leagues, for only a short time.

After two years he lost his PGA Tour card at the end of the 1976 season. He regained his amateur status in 1983.

Harris, 41 at the time, was the last mid-amateur to win the U.S. Amateur, taking the 1993 Championship in Houston with a 5&3 victory over Danny Ellis in the Final.

He also won four Minnesota Amateur Championships (1974, 1987, 1989, 2000), the Sunnehanna Amateur (1995), the Porter Cup (1997) and the Terra Cotta Invitational (2002).

The University of Minnesota inducted Harris into its M Club Hall of Fame in 1994 for his sporting achievements, with the Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame also inducting him in 1998.

He eventually turned pro again when he reached 50 to compete on the PGA Tour Champions circuit. He played in 53 events over a 10 year period enjoying one victory at the 2006 Commerce Bank Championship after a play-off with Tom Jenkins.

ME.

189. 2025 Walker Cup – Day 2 Report

Sunday 7th September 2025

DAY 2 REPORT

USA won the 50th Walker Cup match, their fifth consecutive victory, by 17.0-9.0.

Day 2 again got off to a cloudy and cool start in California before warming up nicely as the Foursomes reached the turn. The fog rolled back in later in the afternoon as the Singles came to a close.

Leading 6.5-5.5 after Day 1 holder’s USA needed 6.5 points from the 14.0 on offer on Sunday to retain the Walker Cup at Cypress Point. They were of course looking for at least 7.0 points to ensure an outright win in this match.

After the Day 2 Foursomes were halved 2.0-2.0 the match was still tight with USA holding a narrow 1.0 point lead heading into the Sunday Singles session.

USA would go on to win the Singles 8.5-1.5 to put a somewhat flattering scoreline on the event which in the most part had been competitive.

Session Score: USA 8.5 – 1.5 GB&I

Day 2 Score: USA 10.5 – 3.5 GB&I

SUNDAY FOURSOMES

The morning Foursomes were tied 2.0-2.0. Arguably a fair result as each team gifted their opponents one of the four games contested. However, GB&I will feel the harder done by given the nature of their capitulation in the opening game and their much greater need to win the session.

Captain Nathan Smith left out Stewart Hagestad and Ben James from his Foursomes line-up whilst GB&I rested Dominic Clemons and Gavin Tiernan.

Captain Dean Robertson explained what he would be saying to his team at lunch “The momentum switches quickly in match play, and we’re behind. How, I don’t know, but anything to keep up concentration. We need to be tighter coming down the stretch. It’s going to be a great fun afternoon.”

Reflecting on the session Smith said “We were looking to get off to a fast start, maybe hold serve with the session or win it, and we did that. We’re in a good spot going into this afternoon. We’ve got to play good. I think it’s up for grabs, and the team that plays better this afternoon will probably come out with it.”

1. Jackson Koivun & Tommy Morrison v. Connor Graham & Tyler Weaver
Two early birdies saw the USA pairing of Jackson Koivun and Tommy Morrison take a 2Up lead after five holes. To their credit Connor Graham and Tyler Weaver fought back superbly to take their own 2Up lead after 10 holes. 1Up on the 17th tee the GB&I pair found the green in regulation around 12 feet from the hole. With the Americans 7 feet away in three the position could not have been much better for them. Whether Tyler Weaver was focussed solely on glory with a birdie or whether the pressure of the situation got to him only he knows but he badly judged the speed of his downhill putt. When Morrison holed his par putt it was inevitable that Graham, who had putted beautifully all morning, would miss his own 6 foot return. Game All Square. Graham then compounded his partner’s error by slicing his iron off the 18th tee and completely blocking out Weaver. In the end the GB&I pairing did well to make a bogey 5 but when Koivun holed a testing downhill 3 footer for par an unlikely comeback had been completed.

2. Ethan Fang & Preston Stout v. Charlie Forster & Luke Poulter
Ethan Fang and Preston Stout grasped defeat from the jaws of victory in Game 2. Four up after 10 holes the Americans looked on course for a comfortable win. However, a combination of their own poor play and Charlie Forster and Luke Poulter ‘catching fire’ saw the USA pairing lose the 11th to a par and then tellingly another four holes in a row, the 13th-16th, with GB&I recording two birdies and two pars. 1Up with two holes to play the GB&I boys held on valiantly for a crucial win for their team.

3. Mason Howell & Jacob Modleski v. Eliot Baker & Stuart Grehan
Some poor holes from Eliot Baker and Stuart Grehan on the front nine handed the early advantage to their American opponents, Mason Howell and Jacob Modleski. The GB&I pair battled to the end but ultimately had left themselves too much to do. The match finished with three outrageous shots. Not for the first time Howell holed a lengthy birdie putt on the 15th, Grehan then chipped in from 50 feet on the 16th to keep the game alive before Howell holed his approach for an eagle 2 – one bounce and in – on the 17th to put an end to the fun.

4. Michael La Sasso & Jase Summy v. Cameron Adam & Niall Shiels Donegan
The Scottish pairing of Cameron Adam and Niall Shiels Donegan took the lead on the 2nd hole and after some great play around the turn – five 3’s in 6 holes – found themselves 5Up after 12. Despite a wobble or two coming home they thankfully got the job done on the 17th green and ensured the overall session would be halved.

Session Score: USA 2.0 – 2.0 GB&I

SUNDAY SINGLES

USA thrashed GB&I 8.5-1.5 in the Day 2 Singles to run out comfortable winners of the 50th Walker Cup match.

All ten players on both sides were in action on the final afternoon.

A delighted Nathan Smith said “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a Walker Cup team bring it like they did this afternoon in singles.”

GB&I captain Dean Robertson was fulsome in his praise for the winners. “We were in it. We fought hard. Our foursomes performances were exceptional. But for a few putts, I think the big difference for us is we need to be better putters. We never really managed to clutch out some of the games, and then this afternoon Team USA performed brilliantly, and hats off to them, and well done to Nathan and his team.”

1. Jackson Koivun v. Tyler Weaver
Playing at No. 1 Tyler Weaver was always likely to be facing Jackson Koivun, a generational talent who has already earned a PGA Tour card. Weaver played well but Koivun was simply too good and birdies on 13 and 15 saw the American pick up his second singles win against the Florida State-based Englishman.

2. Tommy Morrison v. Niall Shiels Donegan
Niall Shiels Donegan was unable to make it three wins from three games against the Texas giant Tommy Morrison who produced five birdies on route to a 3&2 win.

3. Mason Howell v. Connor Graham
Mason Howell and Connor Graham, both 18 years old, tied their game; a competitive one where neither player ever led by more than 1 Hole. Graham restored parity with a birdie on the 15th before the 16th was halved with birdies in a high quality finish.

4. Preston Stout v. Luke Poulter
Preston Stout secured the winning point for USA handing Luke Poulter a 2&1 defeat in a game that saw the two of them share an impressive 11 birdies.

5. Ethan Fang v. Stuart Grehan
Ethan Fang stepped up in his singles against Stuart Grehan, a repeat of yesterday afternoon’s drawn game between the two of them. Early birdies on 3 and 4 provided the platform for the American’s win and after he won the 9th, 10th and 11th holes the contest was quickly brought to a close on the 14th green.

6. Stewart Hagestad v. Eliot Baker
Stewart Hagestad secured the 13th point to guarantee that USA would retain the Cup with his 4&3 victory over Eliot Baker, holing a 20-foot birdie putt on the 15th green to close it out. He is now W7-L1 in singles play and has won all five of the matches he has contested for USA.

7. Ben James v. Charlie Forster
Game 7 was another close contest which eventually fell the way of the Americans. Charlie Forster played well but badly timed bogeys on the 13th and 15th holes handed Ben James the initiative and he was good enough to hang on over the remaining three holes for his point.

8. Jase Summy v. Cameron Adam
Last month’s Western Amateur champion Jase Summy, one of the star performers for USA, earned his third win with a 3&1 victory over Cameron Adam. In an otherwise solid performance the Scotsman’s bogeys on 9 and 11 proved to be critical to his chances.

9. Michael La Sasso v Gavin Tiernan
Amateur Championship runner-up Gavin Tiernan will be pleased to leave the Monterey Peninsula with a 2&1 win over Michael La Sasso; made all the sweeter by it being GB&I’s only victory on the final afternoon. La Sasso surprisingly unravelled coming down the home stretch and Tiernan was pleased to be the beneficiary of his generosity.

10. Jacob Modleski v. Dominic Clemons
In an up and down match Dominic Clemons, who has struggled for form over the last 12 months, was simply too inconsistent to get anything from his game against Jacob Modleski. After a poor start the Englishman won five holes in six to find himself 3Up at the turn. However, five bogeys on the back nine including a deciding one on the 18th saw him lose by 1 Hole. Whilst he was only afforded two outings Clemons leaves Cypress Point as the only player not to contribute a point on either side.

Session Score: USA 8.5 – 1.5 GB&I

Day 2 Score: USA 10.5 – 3.5 GB&I

Match Result: USA 17.0 – 9.0 GB&I

Click here to view the – Walker Cup Scoreboard

Here is my summary of the Individual Performances: –

All of the scorecards shown above are courtesy of the USGA / CISCO Scoring.

ME.

188. 2025 Walker Cup – Day 1 Report

Saturday 6th September 2025

DAY 1 REPORT

The opening day of the 50th Walker Cup got off to a cloudy start before the sun broke through and a near perfect day for golf emerged.

The USA team knew that they needed 13 points to retain the Walker Cup but set out on Saturday morning expecting to easily accumulate the 13.5 points that either side requires to secure an outright victory.

It took the morning Foursomes, which GB&I won 3.0-1.0, for them to realise that this was unlikely to be the walkover that some commentators had predicted before a ball had been struck.

Nevertheless a strong bounce back in the afternoon Singles, which USA won 5.5-2.5, will see the favourites take a 1.0 point lead in to the final day at Cypress Point Club.

SATURDAY FOURSOMES

As is becoming the norm Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) got off to a fast start in the opening Foursomes securing a 3.0-1.0 advantage over their hosts.

USA has won eight of the last ten Walker Cup matches but only won one opening Foursomes series in that 20 year timeframe.

Captain Nathan Smith benched Mason Howell and Jacob Modleski whilst GB&I rested Niall Shiels Donegan and Gavin Tiernan.

Having been unbeaten – P8 W6 L0 H2 – in Foursomes at the recent St. Andrews Trophy match against Continent of Europe in Madrid it was no surprise to see captain Dean Robertson go with the same pairings for Saturday’s opening session. His loyalty was amply rewarded.

“It’s been a good morning”, Robertson said. “We’re under absolutely no illusions as to the task at hand. The goal is 13.5 points, we have three, so we’ve got 10.5 to go now.”

1. Jackson Koivun & Tommy Morrison v. Connor Graham & Tyler Weaver
Conor Graham and Tyler Weaver were superb in the opening game producing eight genuine foursomes birdies in the 17 holes they required to take down World No. 1 Jackson Kuivon and Tommy Morrison. Three birdie hole wins in a row on the 13th, 14th and 15th turned the game their way.

2. Stewart Hagestad & Ben James v. Charlie Forster & Luke Poulter
Charlie Forster and Luke Poulter also made a fast start seizing the advantage early in their match against Stewart Hagestad and Ben James, who had both represented USA in 2023 at St. Andrews. James had a poor morning with the putter which stopped USA gaining any momentum and the English pair saw out the game with relative ease.

3. Ethan Fang & Preston Stout v. Eliot Baker & Stuart Grehan
In the tightest of the four games the experienced GB&I pair of Eliot Baker and Stuart Grehan showed great composure and no shortage of skill to hold on to a narrow 1 Hole victory against the Amateur champion Ethan Fang and his Oklahoma State college teammate Preston Stout. Grehan’s clutch tee shot on the short 15th and Baker’s delicate pitch on the 18th were the late highlights that secured this valuable point for GB&I.

4. Michael La Sasso & Jase Summy v. Cameron Adam & Dominic Clemons
Michael La Sasso and Jase Summy easily saw off a battling but at times out of sorts Cameron Adam and Dominic Clemons in the final game of the session. A double bogey and five bogeys by the GB&I pair meant their American opponents were able to win way to many holes with pars.

Session Score: USA 1.0 – 3.0 GB&I

SATURDAY SINGLES

With only eight Singles being played two players from each team had to miss out on the afternoon series. 2025 NCAA Individual champion Michael La Sasso and Tommy Morrison did so for USA whilst Cameron Adam and Dominic Clemons were the unlucky pair for GB&I.

The Day 1 line ups were submitted on Friday afternoon and therefore neither captain could reflect on the Foursomes performances that preceded this session when deciding who to leave out. With the benefit of hindsight Dean Robertson came out of this arrangement better than Nathan Smith as I am sure he would not have changed his decisions whereas the American may well have done.

Despite this USA bounced back superbly in the afternoon to wrestle back control of the match.

US won five of the eight games contested, three of them comprehensively, and in doing so delivered a psychological blow which the underdogs will do well to recover from on Sunday.

Having only won twice before in the States GB&I will certainly need a repeat of today’s Foursomes performance to have any chance tomorrow when they will have to negotiate another 10 Singles. One positive omen is that the last time GB&I won in 2001 they trailed 6.5-5.5 at the end of Day 1.

Speaking afterwards GB&I captain Dean Robertson said “We just fell short on a few putts and things went the other way. If we’d holed a couple more, things might be a little bit different. I’m slightly disappointed that we are one point behind. I’m exceptionally proud of the way the team performed.”

USA captain Nathan Smith said “I can’t really say there was much of a message (after the morning Foursomes). I think the guys knew what they had to do. There were a lot of points out there this afternoon. We just knew we had to have a good session and they delivered.”

1. Jackson Koivun v. Tyler Weaver
Jackson Koivun took revenge on Tyler Weaver for his morning Foursomes loss. The World No. 1 was in scintillating form playing the front nine in 30/31 shots and whilst Weaver didn’t do much wrong he ended up being blown away by 4&3.

2. Jacob Modleski v. Niall Shiels Donegan
A final hole 1Up win for Niall Shiels Donegan – who would have guessed ? In a trade mark roller coaster performance, which included three birdies and three bogeys, the Scotsman wrong footed Jacob Modleski before gutting it out down the home stretch for a valuable point for GB&I. Shiels Donegan also beat Modleski in the U.S. Amateur Quarter Finals on the 19th hole just three weeks ago.

3. Mason Howell v. Luke Poulter
U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell made a mockery of his non-selection for the earlier Foursomes, in a seven birdie win over Luke Poulter. The loss was a little hard on Poulter who, despite an opening bogey 5, would have been very competitive with his scorecard against most of the other Americans in the afternoon series.

4. Ben James v. Connor Graham
Three birdies on the 13th, 14th and 16th helped Conor Graham to a 3&2 victory against Ben James. It was Graham’s second win of the day and despite bogeys on 8 and 9, which gave James some encouragement, he is increasingly looking like a star in the making. Small in stature but big in heart.

5. Stewart Hagestad v. Gavin Tiernan
Five-time Walker Cupper Stewart Hagestad, 34, was at his imperious best in the afternoon reeling off six birdies in a 7&5 thrashing of Ireland’s Gavin Tiernan. Whilst debutant Tiernan didn’t give too many holes away we know that stringing pars together is simply not going to be good enough for victories around this short course. This was mid-amateur Hagestad’s sixth singles win in seven games.

6. Ethan Fang v. Stuart Grehan
The Amateur champion Ethan Fang and re-instated Irish amateur Stuart Grehan played out an entertaining and very competitive half in Game 6 where neither player could break away from the other. Par golf was seemingly the order of the day with few mistakes being made. Grehan had an opportunity to win it on the 18th hole but couldn’t get his tricky downhill six foot putt to drop.

7. Preston Stout v. Charlie Forster
Preston Stout produced six match play birdies on his way to a comfortable 6&5 win against Charlie Forster. Stout’s excellent play and overall consistency was too much for Forster who bogeyed four of the 13 holes they played.

8. Jase Summy v. Eliot Baker
Jase Summy maintained his 100% win record, the only player on the USA side who can claim this, in a crucial win for USA. 1Down with three holes to play he benefitted from two late bogeys from Devonian Eliot Baker, on 16 and 18, to turn his match around. Stout holed an uphill four footer for his crucial par on the 18th after Baker had lipped out from 15 feet for his. It goes without saying that GB&I would have felt so much better going into Sunday if Baker could have held on for a win or even tied this match.

Session Score: USA 5.5 – 2.5 GB&I

Day 1 Score: USA 6.5 – 5.5 GB&I

Click here to view the – Walker Cup Scoreboard

Here is my summary of the Day 1 Individual Performances: –

All of the scorecards shown above are courtesy of the USGA / CISCO Scoring.

ME.

186. 2025 GB&I Walker Cup Team Is Announced

18th August 2025

The Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team was announced at 2.00pm today by The R&A and captain Dean Robertson.

In line with the stated team selection criteria Tyler WEAVER (ENG) #11, Cameron ADAM (SCO) #21, Dominic CLEMONS (ENG) #41 and Connor GRAHAM (SCO) #44 were automatically selected on the 6th August 2025 based on their World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) on that date.

As expected Eliot BAKER (ENG), Charlie FORSTER (ENG), Stuart GREHAN (IRL), Luke POULTER (ENG), Niall SHIELS DONEGAN (SCO) and Gavin TIERNAN (IRL) were invited to make up the remainder of the team. Unusually these six players have clearly separated themselves from the remainder of the pack in recent months so I believe the selection will have been a straight forward one.

Caolan RAFFERTY (IRL) will be the team’s reserve.

Robertson said “This talented team represents the very best in skill, unity, resilience and determination and each player is thoroughly deserving of the opportunity to compete in the Walker Cup for Great Britain and Ireland. I’ve been watching the players over a long period to understand their personalities and attributes to meet the demands presented by Cypress Point. We are underdogs but I’m confident we are equipped to compete at the highest level and will give it our best shot. We are travelling to Cypress Point to embrace the challenge, honour the legacy of the Walker Cup and aim to make history by reclaiming this famous trophy.”

GB&I Walker Cup Team (Graphic: The R&A)

GB&I Player Profiles

Cameron ADAM (22) – Royal Burgess, Scotland
Recently graduated from Northwestern University.
Left-handed.
Winner of the 2025 St. Andrews Links Trophy. Won all four of his games.
Qualified for the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush via The Open Amateur Series.
Member of the victorious 2025 GB&I St. Andrews Trophy team.

Eliot BAKER (22) – Tiverton, England
Led England to 2025 Men’s Home Internationals success (P6 W5 L1)
Winner of the 2025 Scottish Men’s Open Championship by 7 shots.
Winner of the 2025 Portuguese Int. Men’s Amateur Championship.
Member of the victorious 2025 GB&I St. Andrews Trophy team.

Dominic CLEMONS (23) – Gog Magog, England
Member of the 2024 & 2025 GB&I St. Andrews Trophy teams.
Member of the 2025 European Bonallack Trophy team.
Qualified for The 2024 Open Championship.
Runner-up in the 2024 Amateur Championship.
Won the 2024 Scottish Men’s Open Championship by 17 shots.
Won the Daytona Beach Intercollegiate and Folds of Honour Collegiate in 2024.

Charlie FORSTER (22) – Basingstoke, England
Recently graduated from Long Beach State.
Member of the 2024 & 2025 GB&I St. Andrews Trophy teams.
Member of the International Team at the 2025 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Won the Lake Las Vegas Invitational and Wyoming Cowboy Classic in 2025.

Connor GRAHAM (18) – Blairgowrie, Scotland
Rising sophomore at Texas Tech University.
Member of the 2024 & 2025 GB&I St. Andrews Trophy teams.
Qualified for the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush.
Stroke play medalist in the 2024 and 2025 Amateur Championships.
Member of the International Team at the 2025 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Member of the 2023 GB&I Walker Cup, the youngest player ever
Member of the Europe Junior Ryder Cup Teams.

Stuart GREHAN (32) – County Louth, Ireland
Turned pro in Oct. 2017, reinstated as an amateur in Apr. 2025.
Winner of the 2025 Irish Open and Close Amateur Championships.
Member of the victorious 2025 GB&I St. Andrews Trophy team, having previously played in the 2016 match.

Luke POULTER (21) – Woburn, England
Rising junior at University of Florida.
Member of the victorious 2025 GB&I St. Andrews Trophy team.
Member of the International Team at the 2025 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Won the Schenkel Invitational U.S. collegiate event in 2025.

Niall SHIELS DONEGAN (20) – Meadow Club (California, USA), Scotland
Rising junior at North Carolina after transferring from Northwestern.
Semi-Finalist at the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship.
4th in this year’s St Andrews Links Trophy.
Qualified for the knockout stages of The Amateur Championship in 2024 and 2025.

Gavin TIERNAN (19) – County Louth, Ireland
Rising sophomore at East Tennessee State University.
Runner-up in the 2025 Amateur Championship at Royal St. George’s, England.
Best Irish player at the 2025 Men’s Home Internationals (P6 W4 H1 L1)
Member of the victorious 2025 GB&I St. Andrews Trophy team.

Tyler WEAVER (20) – Bury St Edmunds, England
Rising junior at Florida State University.
Played in the 2025 U.S. Open Championship.
Member of the victorious 2025 GB&I St. Andrews Trophy team.
Member of the International Team at the 2025 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Winner of the 2025 Cabo Collegiate event.

ME.

185. 2025 USA Walker Cup Team Is Announced

17th August 2025

Following the conclusion of the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship on Sunday 17th August the USGA’s International Team Selection Working Group (ITS) and captain Nathan Smith confirmed the 10 players who would represent the USA in the 2025 Walker Cup match.

Five players had already been selected in advance of the U.S. Amateur so today saw the five remaining players confirmed.

USA Walker Cup Team (Graphic: USGA)

JACKSON KOIVUN (20), BEN JAMES (22) and MICHAEL LA SASSO (21), who were ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) at the time, were selected on 18th June 2025.

ETHAN FANG (20) and PRESTON STOUT (21), who were WAGR ranked 3rd and 4th at the time, were added to the USA line-up on 25th July 2025 based on their recent form.

Mason HOWELL (18) earned automatic selection by winning the U.S. Amateur Championship at The Olympic Club on 17th August 2025.

Stewart HAGESTAD (34), Jacob MODLESKI (20), Tommy MORRISON (21) and Jase SUMMY (21) were selected by the ITS and also announced on 17th August 2025.

Miles RUSSELL (16) and Max HERENDEEN (20) will be the team’s alternates.

Hagestad secured the mid-amateur berth ahead of Evan Beck and will play his fifth consecutive Walker Cup match. He has won all four of his previous encounters and holds a P11 W6 H0 L5 record with 5 Singles wins to his name.

Ben James is the only other USA returner. His record at St. Andrews in 2023 was P3 W1 H0 L2.

USA Player Profiles – Courtesy of the USGA

ETHAN FANG (20) – Plano, Texas
The 2025 Amateur champion at Royal St. George’s, England.
Rising junior at Oklahoma State whom he helped to the 2025 NCAA Div I title.
Represented the USA in the 2025 Palmer Cup.

Stewart HAGESTAD (34) – Newport Beach, California
Competing in his fifth Walker Cup match.
U.S. Mid-Amateur champion in 2016, 2021 & 2023.
Only invited U.S. Mid-Amateur champion to make the cut at The Masters (2017).
Works as a broker for investment bank BDT & MSD Partners in Palm Beach, FL.

Mason HOWELL (18) – Thomasville, Georgia
The 2025 U.S. Amateur champion at The Olympic Club, San Francisco.
Qualified for the 2025 U.S. Open by shooting a pair of bogey-free 63s in Atlanta.
Stroke-play medalist at the 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur.
Rising high school senior who has committed to play at Georgia in 2026.

BEN JAMES (22) – Milton, Connecticut
Member of the victorious 2023 USA Walker Cup Team at St. Andrews.
Rising senior at Virginia whom he helped to 2nd place at the 2025 NCAA Finals.
Has qualified for the last two U.S. Opens.
Member of the 2024 USA Palmer Cup Team.

JACKSON KOIVUN (20) – Chapel Hill, North Carolina
WAGR #1 and winner of the 2025 Mark H. McCormack Medal.
Rising junior at Auburn University who won the 2024 NCAA title.
Swept all the major collegiate golf awards in the 2023-24 season.
Member of the 2024 and 2025 USA Palmer Cup Teams.

MICHAEL LA SASSO (21) – Raleigh, North Carolina
Rising senior at Ole Miss who claimed the 2025 NCAA Division I individual title.
Competed in the 2025 U.S. Open.
Member of the 2024 and 2025 USA Palmer Cup Teams.

Jacob MODLESKI (20) – Noblesville, Indiana
Rising junior at the University of Notre Dame.
Reached the quarter finals of the 2024 and 2025 U.S. Amateur Championships.
Semi-finalist in the 2025 Western Amateur.
Won the 2024 Jones Cup Invitational.

Tommy MORRISON (21) – Dallas, Texas
Rising senior at the University of Texas.
The only American to win the European Amateur Championship (2024).
Victory earned him an exemption into The Open Championship at Royal Troon.
At 6 feet, 9 inches, he is one of the tallest players in the game.

PRESTON STOUT (21) – Richardson, Texas
Rising junior at Oklahoma State helping them to the 2025 NCAA Division I title.
Won the 2025 Northeast Amateur by eight strokes.
Represented the USA in the 2025 Palmer Cup.

Jase SUMMY (21) – Keller, Texas
Rising senior at University of Oklahoma
Won the 2025 Western Amateur.
Finished tied for third in 2025 Southern Amateur
Member of the 2025 USA Palmer Cup Team
Won the Maridoe Intercollegiate and was 2nd in Valspar Intercollegiate in 2025.

ME.

184. GB&I’s Four WAGR Picks Are Confirmed

6th August 2025

In line with The R&A’s stated team selection criteria Tyler WEAVER (ENG), Cameron ADAM (SCO), Dominic CLEMONS (ENG) and Connor GRAHAM (SCO) have today automatically been selected for the 2025 Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) Walker Cup team.

The policy stated that ‘the top 5 GB&I players in the WAGR on Wednesday 6th August with a minimum divisor of 18’ would be selected for the team.

WAGR As At 6th August 2025 – Europe Only Extract

As can be seen above GB&I’s leading five players in WAGR today are :-

Tyler WEAVER (20) – Bury St Edmunds G.C., England #11
Cameron ADAM (21) – Royal Burgess G.C., Scotland WAGR #21
Luke POULTER (21) – Woburn G.C., England #29
Dominic CLEMONS (23) – Gog Magog G.C., England #41
Connor GRAHAM (18) – Blairgowrie G.C., Scotland #44

As Luke POULTER does not meet the ‘minimum divisor of 18.0000’ rule he has not earned automatic selection today. However, I don’t think he has anything to worry about as given his recent performances his selection must now be considered a formality.

Poulter’s WAGR place is not transferable to the sixth ranked GB&I player, namely Charlie FORSTER (ENG), and will now become an additional Captain’s pick.

The remaining six players will be selected by the Captain, Dean Robertson, and announced by The R&A on 18th August 2025.

Eliot BAKER (ENG), Charlie FORSTER (ENG), Stuart GREHAN (IRL), Luke POULTER (ENG) and Gavin TIERNAN (IRL) are clearly in the box seats for five of these spots. After all they were all picked by Robertson only last month for the St. Andrews Trophy match where GB&I beat Continent of Europe 16.5-8.5 in Madrid.

Jack BIGHAM (ENG), Oliver CAGE (ENG), Matthew DODD-BERRY (ENG), Daniel HAYES (ENG), Matt MCCLEAN (IRL) and Niall SHIELS DONEGAN (SCO) seem to have the best chance of breaking into the discussion as they are amongst the 14 GB&I players who are competing at next week’s U.S. Amateur Championship in San Francisco.

ME.

183. Ethan Fang and Preston Stout Added To USA Team

25th July 2025

Ethan FANG and Preston STOUT have today been added to the 2025 USA Walker Cup Team by the USGA’s International Team Selection working group (ITS).

They join Jackson KOIVUN, Ben JAMES and Michael LA SASSO, who earned automatic selections to the 10-man team on 18th June as the three highest-ranked American players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

Ethan FANG (WAGR #3), 20, of Plano, Texas, captured the 130th Amateur Championship at Royal St. George’s, in England, becoming the first American in 18 years to win the oldest amateur competition. He is a rising junior at Oklahoma State who helped his university claim the 2025 NCAA Division I title earlier in the summer.

Ethan Fang (Photo: Oisin Keniry / R&A / R&A via Getty Images)

Preston STOUT (WAGR #4), 21, of Dallas, Texas, recently won the 2025 Northeast Amateur at Wannamoisett Country Club, in Rumford, Rhode Island, by eight strokes. Like Fang Stout is a rising junior at Oklahoma State University and helped the Cowboys to victory in the 2025 NCAA Division I Championship. Stout won the 2024 and 2025 Big 12 Conference individual titles and finished third as an individual at the 2025 NCAA Division I event.

Preston Stout (Photo: Oklahoma State University Golf Team)

“Ethan and Preston are excellent additions to further solidify this year’s team,” said Nathan Smith, captain of the USA Team. “These two players have worked tirelessly to put themselves in a position to be selected to this team and I’m thrilled to see their hard work rewarded. I look forward to having them on our side at Cypress Point.”

The USGA’s ITS will name the remaining members of the USA Walker Cup Team immediately following the U.S. Amateur Championship in San Francisco on 17th August.

ME.

182. GB&I Win The 2025 St. Andrews Trophy Match

25th July 2025

Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) won The 35th St. Andrews Trophy match against Continent of Europe by 16.5-8.5 points at Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro in Madrid, Spain.

GB&I now have 27 wins in the 35 matches played with Europe having seven and there being one tie in 2016.

The GB&I Team (Photo: Aitor Alcalde / R&A / R&A via Getty Images)

In a confidence boosting performance ahead of the Walker Cup match against USA in September Cameron ADAM (SCO) was the star man for GB&I winning all four of his games. Eliot BAKER (ENG), Connor GRAHAM (SCO), Luke POULTER (ENG) and Tyler WEAVER (ENG) also strongly contributed to GB&I’s victory with three wins each.

Captain Dean Robertson will have been pleased to see GB&I go unbeaten in Foursomes, his team winning both sessions by 3.5-0.5. Tyler WEAVER (ENG) & Connor GRAHAM (SCO) and Cameron ADAM (SCO) & Dominic CLEMONS (ENG) won both of their games whilst Luke POULTER (ENG) & Charlie FORSTER (ENG) and Eliot BAKER (ENG) & Stuart GREHAN (IRL) won one and tied the other.

Dominic CLEMONS (ENG), Charlie FORSTER (ENG), Stuart GREHAN (IRL) and Gavin TIERNAN (IRL) weren’t as convincing in their play as Robertson would have liked. Stuart GREHAN (IRL) and Charlie FORSTER (ENG) lost both of their Singles and Dominic CLEMONS (ENG), left out of the Day 1 Singles line-up, lost his Day 2 game. Gavin TIERNAN (IRL), who was rested during both sets of Foursomes, lost one and won one of his two Singles outings.

It will be interesting to see how Robertson assesses the above performances when it comes to finalising his Walker Cup team next month. The Walker Cup, being a 10-man competition, will require a new team member to be added but I wouldn’t be surprised to see at least one, possibly two, new faces at Cypress Point. There is still plenty to play for in the coming weeks for those players who missed out on this selection.

Click here to view the – 2025 St. Andrews Trophy Match Results

Great Britain & Ireland Team (Photo: RFEG)

ME.

181. The R&A Select The 2025 GB&I St. Andrews Trophy Team

4th July 2025

The R&A and Captain Dean Robertson have announced the nine players who will represent Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) in the 2025 St Andrews Trophy match against the Continent of Europe.

The match will take place on 24-25 July at Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro in Madrid, Spain.

The GB&I St. Andrews Trophy Team (Graphic: The R&A)

The GB&I team consists of : –
Cameron ADAM (21) – Royal Burgess, Scotland WAGR #29*
Eliot BAKER (22) – Tiverton, England #134
Dominic CLEMONS (23) – Gog Magog, England #41*
Charlie FORSTER (22) – Basingstoke, England #58
Connor GRAHAM (18) – Blairgowrie, Scotland #40*
Stuart GREHAN (32) County Louth, Ireland #845
Luke POULTER (21) – Woburn, England #49
Gavin TIERNAN (19) – County Louth, Ireland #652
Tyler WEAVER (20) – Bury St Edmunds, England #14*

*Adam, Clemons, Graham and Weaver all received automatic selections based on their 2nd July 2025 WAGR rankings. The other players were Captain’s Picks.

Dominic Clemons, Charlie Forster and Connor Graham all played in the 2024 match at Royal Porthcawl G.C.. Stuart Grehan played eight years ago in the tied 2016 match at Prince’s G.C.

Cameron Adam, Eliot Baker, Stuart Grehan, Luke Poulter, Gavin Tiernan and Tyler Weaver will all make their GB&I debuts.

Whilst certainly worthy of being in the mix the selections of Irish pair, Grehan and Tiernan, are a little surprising as respectively there are 47 and 37 GB&I players ranked above them in the current WAGR. Grehan, who turned pro in October 2017, only regained his amateur status in April 2025 whilst Tiernan has clearly been given considerable credit for reaching the Final of The Amateur Championship.

With the GB&I selectors having now shown their hand it appears that their other leading players, such as Jack BIGHAM (ENG), Seb CAVE (ENG), Thomas HIGGINS (IRL), Zach LITTLE (ENG), Tom OSBORNE (ENG) Niall SHIELS DONEGAN (SCO) and Freddie TURNELL (ENG), will need to produce some good results in the next six weeks to force their way into the Walker Cup picture.

The St. Andrews Trophy (Photo: Suomen Golfliitto / Finnish Golf Union)

The re-jigging of the amateur calendar means that the normally biennial contest is being played just a year after Europe beat GB&I 16.0-9.0 in Wales.

The timing of the match is advantageous to GB&I, at least in theory, as it comes just over a month before the Walker Cup match against USA and will give the players the opportunity to get to know each other better and to compete as a team.

ME.

180. USA’s Three WAGR Picks Are Confirmed

18th June 2025

In line with the USGA’s International Team Selection Working Group’s (ITS) guidance we now know the first three members of USA’s 2025 Walker Cup team.

The three highest ranked American players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) on 18th June 2025, namely Jackson KOIVUN (20) #1, Ben JAMES (22) #2 and Michael LA SASSO (21) #3, have all secured automatic selections for the upcoming match at Cypress Point Club.

USA players occupy seven places in this WAGR top 10 and fourteen in the top 20.

Click here to view the current – WAGR Men’s Ranking

WAGR Top 10 As At 18th June 2025 (Graphic: WAGR)

All three team members play in the U.S. college system. Next season Koivun will be a junior at Auburn, James a senior at Virginia and La Sasso a senior at Ole Miss.

On 26th May 2025 Jackson Koivun became the third player to earn PGA TOUR membership via the PGA TOUR University Accelerated ranking. He plans to complete his junior year at Auburn before taking up his PGA TOUR status in June 2026.

Ben James has been a top USA player since his junior days and was a member of the victorious USA team at St. Andrews in 2023.

Michael La Sasso won the Individual title at the NCAA Division I National Championship in May 2025 and as a result joined Koivun and James in the U.S. Open Championship field at Oakmont C.C.

“Jackson, Ben and Michael are fantastic additions to the team” said USA Captain Nathan Smith. “Not only have all three of these young men had impressive seasons, resulting in these automatic selections, but they are future stars of our game who bring immense talent, enthusiasm and camaraderie to the team’.

All three selectees attended the USA’s Squad practice session in Jupiter, Florida in December 2024.

The ITS will name a second set of additional players to the 10-man team in late July and then round things off following the completion of the U.S. Amateur Championship on 17th August 2023.

Click here to read more information on the – 2025 USA Walker Cup Team Selection Process and Timetable

ME.

179. Prince’s G.C. To Host The 2030 Walker Cup Match

8th May 2025

Prince’s G.C. in Sandwich, Kent, England will stage the 53^rd Walker Cup match in 2030.

It will be the first time that the Club has staged the biennial team contest played between Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) and the United States of America.

The final dates, expected to be in early September, will be confirmed at a later date.

Prince’s has undergone a significant redevelopment programme since 2017, including upgrades to the clubhouse and to the 27 holes on offer. The Shores and Dunes nines make up the championship course.

Prince’s famously staged The Open in 1932 won by Gene Sarazen and has more recently hosted Final Qualifying for The Open between 2018 and 2022. It also hosted The Women’s Amateur Championship in 2023.

Rob McGuirk, General Manager at Prince’s, said, “It’s an absolute privilege to be invited to host the Walker Cup in 2030. To be among the esteemed hosts of what is perhaps the most revered men’s amateur competition in the game is a source of immense pride for everyone associated with Prince’s Golf Club. We have worked closely with The R&A on a number of championships in the past and we look forward to continuing that relationship in the years ahead to ensure a great match is held.”

From a sentimental perspective it is disappointing that the neighbouring Royal St. George’s G.C. hasn’t been selected for 2030, 100 years after Bobby Jones led USA to victory there before commencing his Grand Slam journey. Having last hosted The Open Championship in 2021 I assume its planned return hampered this potential Walker Cup appointment.

In the recently announced 2025 Top 100 Golf Courses GB&I Ranking the three leading Kent links courses were ranked as follows: Royal St. George’s 7th, Royal Cinque Ports 29th and Prince’s 87th.

ME.

178. Jay Sigel Has Died Aged 81

23rd April 2025

Jay Sigel, one of the most distinguished amateur golfers in the history of the game, died on 19th April 2025 at the age of 81.

Born in Pennsylvania on 13 November 1943 Sigel had to wait until he was 35 before winning his first major title, the Amateur Championship in 1979. He beat compatriot Scott Hoch in the 36-hole final at Hillside G.C. in England.

He went on to win the U.S. Amateur Championship in 1982, in his 16th appearance, and 1983 and three U.S. Mid-Amateur titles in 1983, 1985 and 1987. 1983 saw him become only the eighth player to win consecutive U.S. Amateurs. He is the only player to win the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur in the same year and one of just five players to win multiple USGA championships in the same year.

This is not to say that he had no success as a younger player. Sigel lost in the Final of the 1961 U.S. Junior Amateur to 16-year-old Charles S. McDowell by 2 Holes.

He represented the University of Houston (one semester) before transferring to Wake Forest, where he played on the Arnold Palmer Scholarship. Sigel had aspirations of turning professional but after an accident on campus during his sophomore year, which required 70 stitches in his wrist and arm, decided to pursue a career in insurance when he graduated in 1967.

No one has represented USA more than Sigel who played in seven World Amateur Team Championships (Eisenhower Trophy) and nine Walker Cup matches between 1977 and 1993, both individual appearance records.

In the Walker Cup, where he served as playing captain in 1983 and 1985, he holds the records for the most matches played (33) and the most victories (18). His overall record being W18-H10-L5 in both singles and foursomes. USA won eight of the nine matches he was involved in, the only exception being at Peachtree G.C., Atlanta in 1989.

He additionally won ten Pennsylvania Amateurs, four Pennsylvania Opens, three Porter Cups, Sunnehanna Amateurs and Northeast Amateurs.

Sigel competed in numerous major championships and was the low amateur in the 1984 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, one of five he competed in. He also earned low-amateur honours three times (1980, 1981 and 1988) in his 11 Masters appearances and at the 1980 Open Championship, one of two he played in.

Jay Sigel (Photo: First Tee Philadelphia)

When he turned 50 Sigel turned pro and joined the Senior Tour (now PGA Tour Champions). He was named the circuit’s 1994 Rookie of the Year, thanks to 14 top-10 finishes and one win. During his seniors career he recorded eight wins in total and earned over $9.0m.

Sigel received the Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honour, in 1984, was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and was named the Philadelphia Sportswriters Professional Athlete of the Year for 1994.

A significant philanthropist Sigel was a past president of The First Tee of Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Scholastic Golf Association. His annual Sigel Charity Invitational, played for over 30 years at Aronomink G.C., also raised in excess of $5.3m for the University of Pennsylvania Abrahmson Cancer Center.

A legend of the game Sigel is survived by his wife of 57 years, Betty, three daughters, Jennifer, Amy and Megan, and six grandchildren.

ME.

177. Peter McEvoy Has Died Aged 72

23rd April 2025

Peter McEvoy, one of the most significant members of the Walker Cup family, died on 6th April 2025 at the age of 72.

He won The Amateur Championship in both 1977 (Ganton) and 1978 (Royal Troon); the last player to successfully defend the title. In total he competed in 18 Amateur Championships playing 70 matches. He won 54 and lost 16 of these giving him an impressive win rate of 77%.

He was a member of the Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) Walker Cup team on five occasions – in 1977-79-81-85-89. His first four Walker Cup matches were lost but the last one, at Peachtree, Atlanta, ended in victory; the first time GB&I had won this historically one-sided contest on US soil. McEvoy contributed 2.5 points in that final game but his overall record was disappointing given his wider playing record. He played 18 games in total, winning 5, losing 11 and halving 2. Only Sir Michael Bonallack (25), Joe Carr (20) and Gary Wolstenholme (19) have played more Walker Cup games for GB&I.

McEvoy played on five Eisenhower Trophy teams – in 1978-80-84-86-88. In 1988, aged 35, and a year after he hadn’t been selected for The Walker Cup he won the World Amateur Individual event and GB&I won the team event for the third time at Ullva, Sweden.

He also played in the St. Andrews Trophy for GB&I against the Continent of Europe in 1978-80-86-88. GB&I won on each occasion in what was then an event as one-sided as The Walker Cup.

He is England’s second most capped amateur golfer, competing in 153 matches between 1976 and 1992. Gary Wolstenholme achieved an astonishing 218 caps whilst Sir Michael Bonallack made 131 appearances for their shared country. He played in the Home Internationals of 1976-77-78-(79 not held)-80-81-83-84-85-86-87-88-89-91. England won in 1977-78-80-84-85-88-89. He went on to captain the team between 1994 and 1997, winning on each occasion. He holds the record for the highest win ratio (67.3%) of any British amateur golfer, playing 153 matches and winning 103 of them – he halved 16 and lost just 34 of the remaining ones. He amazingly lost just once in his first 30 singles matches.

Despite never winning the English Amateur – he lost in the 1980 final to Peter Deeble – his name adorns virtually every other major British amateur trophy. His wins included the Duncan Putter, Scrutton Jug, Lytham Trophy, Selborne Salver, Brabazon Trophy, Lagonda Trophy, West of England Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship, English County Champions’ Tournament, Berkshire Trophy, Berkhamsted Trophy, Logan Trophy and Hampshire Hog.

He played in four Open Championships. After something of an apprenticeship in 1976 (Royal Birkdale) and 1977 (Turnberry, where he was paired with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player) he achieved low amateur status at The Open Championship in both 1978 (St. Andrews, 39^th) and 1979 (Royal Lytham St. Annes, T17th with Lee Trevino). He also qualified for the 1984 Open at St. Andrews, making the cut for the third time but having to withdrawal due to ill health at the start of round 3.

McEvoy also played in three Masters. In 1978, paired with Tom Watson to start with, he became just the second GB&I amateur to make the cut at The Masters (after Joe Carr in 1967). He finished 53rd after rounds of 73, 75, 77 and 77, last of those that made the cut. He perhaps surprisingly remains the last GB&I amateur to make the cut at The Masters. In his other two appearances he missed the cut; in 1979 paired with Jack Nicklaus he shot 79, 79 missing out by 13-shots and in 1980 paired with Sam Snead he scored 79, 76 missing out by 9-shots.

Jack Swift Receives The McEvoy Trophy From Peter McEvoy In April 2024 (Photo: Golf Bible)

McEvoy subsequently enjoyed huge success as a Team Captain, leading GB&I to famous Walker Cup wins at Nairn (1999) and Sea Island, Georgia (2001). Both victories came by a score of 15-9 and were the first time GB&I had recorded consecutive wins in the event. He also captained GB&I to victory in the 1998 Eisenhower Trophy in Santiago, Chile. He is the only person to win the individual event as a player, the team event as a player, and the team event as a captain. He also captained again in 2000, and GB&I finished in second place. In 2002, when the home nations started to compete individually he captained the first England team.

In 2002, McEvoy was named Chairman of the R&A Selection Committee, responsible for the selection of the GB&I teams competing in various international events. Between 2008 and 2015 he was responsible for the GB&I Boys Team and manager of the Jacques Léglise Trophy team.

He was appointed Captain of the Europe Team for the 2020 Bonallack Trophy men’s match against Asia-Pacific.

Once his own playing career was over he moved into player management, consultancy and golf course design which he continued to successfully pursue right up until his death.

He was honoured by the The Association of Golf Writers on two occasions. In 1978 he won The Golf Writers’ Trophy, “awarded each year to the individual, born or resident in Europe, or the European team, who have made the most outstanding contribution to golf in the preceding 12 months”. In 2001 the same award was given to the victorious 2001 Walker Cup team which he captained. More recently in 2009 he received the prestigious Association of Golf Writers’ Award for his outstanding services to the game.

The English Golf Union (now England Golf) named Peter McEvoy the winner of their 1999 Gerald Micklem Award. This honour is given to those who have “made an outstanding contribution to further the interests of amateur golf in England”. In February 2024 McEvoy was included amongst an initial group of 12 inductees into the new England Golf Hall of Fame.

Peter McEvoy received an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2003 Queen’s New Year’s Honours List, for “services to golf”.

In 2006 Peter McEvoy published his excellent autobiography ‘For Love or Money’ (HarperSport). The book was written with the assistance of Sunday Telegraph journalist Mark Reason and is well worth a read.

The Peter McEvoy Trophy for U18’s continues to be played at Copt Heath G.C., the Solihull-based club he was associated with throughout his career. Past winners include Lee Westwood (1991) and Justin Rose (1998).

Peter McEvoy clearly loved the game of golf and the amateur game in GB&I was fortunate to have him as a leading figure for many years. His contribution as an elite player, captain, administrator, coach, course designer and journalist / writer is almost without parallel.

He is survived by his first wife Dorothy “Dee”, their sons Cameron and Richard, his second wife Helen, her daughter Mary and their son Douglas.

ME.

176. Pine Valley G.C. To Host The 2044 Walker Cup Match

3rd March 2025

Following it’s Annual Meeting at Pinehurst over the weekend the USGA has announced that Pine Valley Golf Club will host the 2044 Walker Cup match.

The Pine Hill, New Jersey venue will be hosting its fourth USGA championship. It has previously hosted the 1936 and 1985 Walker Cup matches and on 5th July 2023 was awarded the 2034 Curtis Cup match.

Captained by Francis Ouimet, the USA Team won the 1936 Walker Cup Match at Pine Valley in dominant fashion, blanking their Great Britain & Ireland opponents, 9-0. The USA claimed the 1985 Match by a narrow 13-11 margin, with a team featuring playing captain Jay Sigel and future PGA Tour winners Davis Love III, Scott Verplank and Duffy Waldorf. Pine Valley, which began construction in 1913 and was completed in 1922, was designed by George Arthur Crump, who died before it opened in 1918. For his one and only design, Crump consulted experienced architects such as Harry Colt, A.W. Tillinghast, Donald Ross, Hugh Wilson, George C. Thomas Jr. and Walter Travis. From the beginning the course has been widely considered to be one of the best in the world.

“We are committed to bringing our championships to the finest golf courses in the country,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer. “To have Pine Valley as the host site of this prestigious event will not only produce memorable competition but also reinforce the stature of amateur golf worldwide.”

ME.

175. Tickets & Schedule For The 2025 Walker Cup Match

27th March 2025 – Update

Click here to enter the USGA’s 2025 Walker Cup Ticket Ballot

Applicants chosen in the random selection will be notified by the end of May via email and be given a defined timeline to complete their purchase and accept their tickets.

ME.

_____________________________________

24th January 2025

The USGA has announced that ticketing for the 50th Walker Cup Match, which is to be played on 5th-7th September 2025, will be limited and as a result expensive.

The coastal terrain and attractiveness of Cypress Point Club, coupled with the limited amount of competitive play on course at any one time, means that daily attendances will be “capped to an appropriate and manageable number.”

It has been rumoured that the number of tickets released may be as low as 3,000 / day.

The USGA said “to equitably address the demand for tickets and ensure fair distribution, all single day public tickets will be sold in advance through a random selection process, after receipt of an online application which will be made available in the spring.”

It will clearly be very difficult to attend the whole match and as a result it is hard to see many GB&I supporters making the effort to travel to California.

The ticket prices, which are before any applicable taxes and fees, and match schedule were also released: –

Friday 5th September – Practice Day – $100 / ticket

8am: Official Team Practice Rounds
5pm: Flag-Raising Ceremony

Saturday 6th September – Match Day 1 – $200 / ticket

8am: Four foursome matches
1:45pm: Eight singles matches

Sunday 7th September – Match Day 2 – $200 / ticket

8am: Four foursome matches
1:30pm: Ten singles matches
7pm: Closing Ceremony

Each adult applicant will have the option to apply for one complimentary junior (17 years old and under) ticket per day, which will also be determined via random selection.

More ticket information can be found on the USGA’s Walker Cup Webpage

ME.

174. Nathan Smith Confirmed as 2026 USA Walker Cup Captain

4th November 2024

Alongside their Practice Squad announcement the USGA also confirmed that Nathan Smith will be retained as Captain for the 2026 Walker Cup Match.

Due to the timing of other international golf competitions, primarily the Olympics, the Walker Cup is moving to even years beginning in 2026. That year’s match is being played at Lahinch Golf Club in the Republic of Ireland.

John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer, said “Given the tight turnaround between the 2025 and 2026 Matches, it was clear to us that Nathan should return as captain and provide the team with a consistent leader during the unique situation of two Walker Cups in two years.”

Nathan Smith at the 2013 Walker Cup (Photo: USGA)

Nathan Smith has competed in 48 USGA Championships, six State Team championships and played on three consecutive Walker Cup Teams (2009, 2011, 2013). He amassed a 3-4-1 record in his three matches against Great Britain & Ireland.

The USGA announced the selections of both Mike McCoy and Nathan Smith respectively as USA team captains for the 2023 and 2025 Walker Cup matches on 9th March 2022. Smith was therefore in attendance at St. Andrews in 2023 and this combination of playing and observing will no doubt stand him in good stead.

ME.

173. USGA Announce 2025 Walker Cup USA Practice Squad

4th November 2024

The USGA’s International Team Selection (ITS) Working Group has invited 16 players to attend a Walker Cup practice session on 14th-16th December 2024.

The players will practice at McArthur Golf Club, Seminole Golf Club and The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Florida.

The following players will be in attendance: –

Evan BECK (34) of Virginia Beach, Virginia. (Mid-Amateur)
Parker BELL (20) of Tallahassee, Florida. (Florida – junior)
Blades BROWN (17) of Nashville, Tennessee. (High School – 2026) *
Luke CLANTON (20) of Hialeah, Florida. (Florida State – junior)
Ethan FANG (19) of Plano, Texas (Oklahoma State – sophomore)
Stewart HAGESTAD (33) of Newport Beach, California (Mid-Amateur)
Max HERENDEEN (19) of Bellevue, Washington. (Illinois – sophomore)
Ben JAMES (21) of Milford, Connecticut. (Virginia – junior)
Noah KENT (20) of Naples, Florida. (Iowa – sophomore)
Jackson KOIVUN (19) of Chapel Hill, N. Carolina. (Auburn – sophomore)
Michael LA SASSO (20) of Raleigh, N. Carolina (Ole Miss – junior)
Bryan LEE (20) of Fairfax, Virginia. (Virginia – junior)
Tommy MORRISON (20) of Dallas, Texas (Texas – junior)
Jase SUMMY (20) of Keller, Texas (Oklahoma – junior)
Brendan VALDES (21) of Orlando, Florida. (Auburn – senior)
Jackson VAN PARIS (21) of Pinehurst, N. Carolina. (Vanderbilt – senior)

* Blades Brown (17) decided to forego college and turn pro in December 2024. He was replaced at the practice session by Auburn senior Carson Bacha.

Luke Clanton, the 2024 McCormack Medal winner and current No. 1-ranked amateur, highlights the group of invites.

Stewart Hagestad (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) and Ben James (2023) are the two players with previous Walker Cup experience in the Squad.

“This serves as another step in the process of team selection and is an opportunity for all involved to become more familiar with each other and begin to build team camaraderie,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer. “These decorated amateurs represent a talented group of potential team members, but we expect others will also be considered as the selection process moves toward its conclusion.”

Whilst attendance in Florida is no guarantee of a place on the final team it has proven to be a strong indicator in recent years. Seven of the 16 players from the December 2022 USA Walker Cup practice session competed on the 2023 team. All ten of the 16 players from the December 2020 Walker Cup practice session made the 2021 USA team.

2025 USA Captain Nathan Smith said “The amateur golf talent in this country is impressive, and I’m thrilled to gather with this group for a practice session next month,” said Smith. “We have a strong list of young men attending; a mixture of seasoned veterans as well as up-and-comers of the game. I’m excited to spend more time with this group.”

The 50th Match will be played at the Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, California on 6th-7th September 2025.

10 Great Britain & Ireland players visited Cypress Point last week with Captain Dean Robertson to begin their preparation for the match.

ME.

172. GB&I Lose The 2024 St. Andrews Trophy Match

7th August 2024

The 34th St. Andrews Trophy match between Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) and Continent of Europe was played at Royal Porthcawl G.C. on 25th-26th July 2024.

This biennial men’s match has been traditionally played in alternate years to GB&I’s Walker Cup match against USA.

Continent of Europe beat GB&I by 16.0-9.0. To put this in context it was only Europe’s sixth win, just their second away one and their biggest ever surpassing their 15.5-9.5 triumph in Finland in 2018.

Unusually when compared with recent years Europe were able to field a strong team and their comfortable victory does not bode well for GB&I heading into next year’s Walker Cup match.

New GB&I captain Dean ROBERTSON said “The result obviously didn’t go our way but I couldn’t have asked any more from my team in terms of preparation. On the week we were just beaten by a team that played better.”

Continent of Europe (Photo: Cameron Smith / R&A / R&A via Getty Images)

The R&A Selection Committee, including Scottish Captain Robertson announced their nine man team for the match on 8th July 2024.

Each GB&I player’s nationality, WAGR as at 17th July 2024 and Selection Route is shown below: –

James ASHFIELD (23) – Wales, #27, WAGR Top 5

Jack BIGHAM (20) – England #37, WAGR Top 5

Seb CAVE (20) – England, #342, Captain’s Pick

Dominic CLEMONS (22) – England, #157, Captain’s Pick

Charlie FORSTER (21) – England, #262, Captain’s Pick

Connor GRAHAM (17) – Scotland, #149, Captain’s Pick

Gregor GRAHAM (20) – Scotland, #108, Captain’s Pick

Max KENNEDY (22) – Ireland, #30, WAGR Top 5

Caolan RAFFERTY (31) – Ireland, #53, WAGR Top 5

First Reserve
Will HOPKINS (24) – England, #63, Captain’s Pick

The R&A had stated in advance that the top 5 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking as at 3rd July 2024 would be guaranteed selection.

Calum SCOTT from Scotland, #13, GB&I’s leading player and who would have been an Automatic WAGR Top 5 selection, made himself unavailable. One has to assume that Calum will be turning pro once he has completed his senior year at Texas Tech and will also not be available for selection at Cypress Point in September 2025.

The WAGR policy caught Captain Robertson out when the final list was released and Caolan RAFFERTY, who had not played in either the recent Amateur or European Amateur Championships due to work commitments, surprisingly jumped above Will HOPKINS to take the 5th slot. Having said that the Scotsman still had four selections available to him and still chose not to take Hopkins with him.

It will be interesting to see how transparent The R&A are, particularly with regards to WAGR, with their 2025 team selection policies.

Looking at the individual performance analysis below Dominic CLEMONS and Connor GRAHAM, and to a lesser degree James ASHFIELD and Jack BIGHAM, were the only GB&I players to leave Wales with their reputations at this level intact.

Given the forthcoming changes to the amateur golf calendar it is worth noting that this match will for the first time be played again before the next Walker Cup contest. Continent of Europe will defend the trophy at Puerta De Hierro in Madrid, Spain on 24th-25th July 2025, just five weeks before the Walker Cup starts in California.

ME.

171. Peter Oosterhuis Has Died Aged 75

7th May 2024

Peter Arthur Oosterhuis has died at the age of 75, a day before his 76th birthday, in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Oosterhuis was born on 3rd May 1948 in London to Josie and Hans. Dutchman Hans had emigrated to Britain after escaping German occupation of his home country during Workd War II.

Peter was educated at Dulwich College. His mother introduced him to golf when he was 10 and he became a member of Dulwich & Sydenham Hill Golf Club, taking lessons with the pro Len Rowe.

His progress in the game was rapid and he represented England Boys’ in 1964 and went on to captain the team in 1965.

In 1966 he won the Berkshire Trophy and the R&A British Youths Open Amateur Championship at Dalmahoy. He also finished 3rd in this latter competition in both 1967 and 1968.

Interstingly he only chose to play in the Amateur Championship on one occassion. He lost in the third round at Troon in 1968 to Matt Lygate, a Scottish International who was a member at neighbouring Troon Portland.

He played in the 1967 Walker Cup match at Royal St. George’s G.C. having just turned 19. He was the first player still at school to play in the match. Paired with Scotland’s Ronnie Shade they halved one and won one of their two foursomes. He lost both of his singles; to Bob Dickson by 6&4 on Day 1 and James Grant III by 1 Hole on Day 2.

He was a member of the GB&I St. Andrews Trophy team that was victorious 20-10 against Continent of Europe in 1968, winning 3 out of 4 points at Portmarnock.

The 6ft. 5” Oosterhuis turned professional in November 1968 and by the mid-1970s had replaced Tony Jacklin as Britain’s leading golfer.

In March 1969 he won the Sunningdale Foursomes with his partner Peter Benka. They beat Catherine Lacoste and Jean-Michel Lerretche in the Final 3&2.

He won the Harry Vardon Award in his rookie year, 1969, and went on to top the European Tour’s Order of Merit four times between 1971 to 1974. In 1975 he moved to the USA to compete full time on the PGA Tour, one of the first international players to do so.

The Englishman was twice a runner-up at The Open, in 1974 and 1982. He also had a good run at the 1973 Masters where he entered the final round, played on a monday after rain delays, with a 3-shot lead before closing with a 74 and having to settle for tied 3rd.

He won 20 times worldwide, with seven official victories in Europe, including the national opens of France and Spain, and one on the PGA Tour, overcoming Jack Nicklaus down the stretch in the 1981 Canadian Open.

Oosterhuis played in six consecutive Ryder Cups from 1971 to 1981 (only the last two including European players), all of which ended in team defeat, but individual success. He compiled a W14-L11-H3 overall record, including a joint European best six singles wins (out of nine games) taking the scalps of Arnold Palmer (2), Johnny Miller, JC Snead and Gene Littler. It is something of a surprise that he was never afforded the European team captaincy in the 1980’s but living full time in America obviously didn’t help his case.

His performances were built on a surprisingly sharp short game for a big man and sound strategy which he put down to his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; an ability to remember nearly every shot he ever played and staying focussed on the next task at hand.

Once his playing career ended in 1986 he took on a number of Director of Golf roles, most notably at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. He then became a highly respected TV commentator working firstly for Sky Sports and then the Golf Channel and CBS in USA for 18 years.

He was sadly diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2014 and retired from the public eye.

In 2016 he became the 49th honorary life member of the European Tour.

Without a major win to his name Oosterhuis could never be considered a golfing great but he was certainly a player of some ability and unquestionably a hugely popular gentleman both on and off the course.

ME.

170. Dean Robertson Appointed GB&I Captain

15th February 2024

Dean Robertson has been appointed as the new Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) Men’s Captain by The R&A.

Robertson, who was born in Canada on 11th July 1970, will begin his initial two-year term by captaining GB&I against the Continent of Europe in the St Andrews Trophy match being played at Royal Porthcawl G.C. on 25th-26th July 2024. He will then look forward to taking the reins at the 50th Walker Cup match at Cypress Point Club in California on 6th-7th September 2025.

“To have represented Great Britain and Ireland in the St Andrews Trophy and the Walker Cup was the pinnacle of my amateur career and an incredible privilege,” said Robertson.“Now to have the honour of captaining Great Britain and Ireland is something I could not have imagined but it is one that I am thrilled about. I very much look forward to working closely with the players for the matches ahead with an important focus on being well prepared and playing to win.”

Dean Robertson (Photo: University of Stirling)

Robertson, the long standing High Performance Golf Coach at the University of Stirling, has a wealth of experience and no doubt will be a popular appointment.

The 53 year old has run a hugely successful golf program at Stirling over the last 14 years and has become a highly regarded coach to a number of amateur and professional players.

He has also been Head Coach (2009) and Assistant Head Coach (2016) of the European Arnold Palmer Cup team winning both an away and home match against USA.

Robertson, as a Cochrane Castle member, enjoyed a notable amateur career with victories in the 1991 Scottish Youths, 1992 Scottish Amateur Stoke Play and 1993 Scottish Amateur Championships.

He earned a golf scholarship at Midland College in Texas which aided his development.

He was part of the victorious GB&I side in the St Andrews Trophy match at Royal Cinque Ports in 1992 contributing two singles wins, including one against future Ryder Cup player Niclas Fasth, and a foursomes success in his four outings.

The following year Robertson played in the 1993 Walker Cup match at Interlachen C.C. In a 19.0-5.0 defeat he picked up a 3&2 singles victory on the rain-affected opening day against American amateur great Jay Sigel.

He turned pro after his Walker Cup appearance and secured a European Tour card at the 1994 Q-School. The highlight of his 14 year professional career, which saw him win €1.9m in prize money, came in 1999 when he beat Padraig Harrington by 1-shot to win the Italian Open.

Following in the footsteps of compatriot Catriona Matthew, who is captaining the GB&I Curtis Cup team this year, Robertson, who will become the first GB&I men’s captain to have been a professional golfer*.

He succeeds fellow Scotsman Stuart Wilson and becomes the 17th Scottish captain and third consecutive Scotsman to take the role.

GB&I have lost the last four Walker Cup matches and no Scotsman has ever captained a winning Walker Cup team. If Robertson is to break these two runs he will require all of his coaching and man-management skills and above all the emergence of some genuine playing talent in the next 18 months.

On a side note The R&A announcement stated that the appointment was for a “two year term” which potentially still leaves the door ajar for Paul McGinley to take up the role when the 51st Walker Cup match is played at his beloved Lahinch G.C. in Ireland in 2026. McGinley had been strongly rumoured to be the ‘name in the frame’ for 2024 but perhaps stepped back from the position as lucrative US television commentating opportunities have recently opened up for him.

*Two USA captains to date were previously professionals. Jim Holtgrieve (2011, 2013) turned professional in 1998 aged 50 and played on the Champions Tour for a few years. His amateur status was re-instated by the USGA in 2007. Nathaniel Crosby (2019, 2021), was a professional golfer primarily on the European Tour between 1984-87.

ME.