Walker Cup 2026 – Walker Cup

200. 2026 Walker Cup – Day 2 Report

6th September 2026

DAY 2 REPORT

Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) took a 6.5 – 5.5 lead against the United States of America (USA) in to Day 2 of the 51st Walker Cup match at Lahinch G.C.

After USA completed a clean sweep of the Sunday Foursomes and therefore led 6.5 – 9.5 going into the final Singles series it appeared for all the world as if the match was as good as over.

Thankfully no one told the GB&I team and a dramatic comeback victory for the hosts, the biggest ever, unfolded as the final ten games played out in the afternoon. GB&I won the Singles series 7.0 – 3.0 to take the overall match 13.5 – 12.5.

It was GB&I’s tenth Walker Cup victory and first since 2015. USA have won 40 of the 51 matches played to date with 1 being tied.

Speaking afterwards a proud GB&I captain Dean Robertson said “We are so elated. We’re hardly able to put it into words. There’s a lot of emotion, a lot of happy tears. But pride, pride is the word I would use to describe this. The boys have delivered and I am incredibly proud of each and every one of them.”

USA Captain Nathan Smith said “The match was incredible. It was definitely a tale of two days with what happened this morning and how they played this afternoon. We knew how great their team was. They’re a deep team. We knew they were capable of anything. Really at no time did we take the foot off the accelerator. But they played great.”

The GB&I Team (Photo by Ross Parker / R&A / R&A via Getty Images)

SUNDAY FOURSOMES (6,808 yards)

The Sunday Foursomes draw was announced on Saturday evening with play commencing at 8.00am.

Dean Robertson, GB&I captain, stuck with his pairings from Day 1 with Ben Bolton and Jake Whaley again left out. Nathan Smith, USA captain, chose to rest Stewart Hagestad but brought in William Jennings for Josiah Gilbert, who had struggled on Day 1.

The morning Foursomes session turned into a nightmare for the home side with the USA team playing outstandingly well, building momentum and comprehensively going on to win all four games. It was the first 4-0 sweep in a Foursomes session since the USA swept the Day 2 series in 2007 at Royal County Down.

Hoping to extend their lead before trying to see out the historically troublesome final Singles series the GB&I side looked tired and played poorly with numerous missed shots and very few putts holed.

At lunch everyone assumed that the psychological damage inflicted on the home side would be insurmountable. With USA needing just 3.5 points from the 10 available in the Sunday Singles to retain the Cup the match was there for the winning. If further evidence of this was required no team had ever won the Cup having been three points behind after three sessions.

1. Stuart Grehan & Eliot Baker v. Preston Stout & Ethan Fang

Preston Stout and Ethan Fang were deserved winners against Stuart Grehan and Eliot Baker. They got off to a fast start and when the GB&I pair started to make mistakes they had the consistency to build on their lead. The highlight of the game was Stout’s drive on the short par 4 13th which finished no more than 2 feet away.

2. Luke Poulter & Sam Easterbrook v. Jay Leng Jr & Kihei Akina

Leng Jr. and Akina produced a near blemish free performance, with six birdies over the first 13 holes, to take out GB&I’s Poulter and Easterbrook by 4&3.

3. Tyler Weaver & Connor Graham v. Miles Russell & Tyler Watts

The young left-handers Miles Russell and Tyler Watts played well against an out of sorts Tyler Weaver and Connor Graham and won Game 3 relatively easily.

4. Niall Sheils Donegan & Josh Hill v. William Jennings & Ryder Cowan

Like all of the games that preceded them the USA pairing of William Jennings and Ryder Cowan started strongly, established a lead and then saw out the match with little difficulty.

Session Score: GB&I 0.0 – 4.0 USA

SUNDAY SINGLES (6,844 yards)

Ten Singles were played on Sunday afternoon featuring all of the players from both teams.

GB&I got off to a great start winning the first four games and belief started to rise rise amongst the GB&I team and their supporters as these results were confirmed.

After GB&I’s leading players had laid the foundations for a possible surprise win 1 Hole wins for both Eliot Baker and shortly afterwards Josh Hill, when they both got up and down for birdies from around a packed 18th green, proved to be critical to the final outcome.

There were also important late halves for Niall Sheils Donegan and Connor Graham to ensure GB&I reached the 13.5 points they required for an outright victory.

It was arguably GB&I’s best ever Singles performance although the 2001 6.5-1.5 result at Ocean Forest in the 2001 away win pushes it close.

1. Stuart Grehan v. Preston Stout

After bogeying the 1st hole and falling 2Down after the 2nd Stuart Grehan played superbly well to secure a second victory in the top Singles game against WAGR ranked No. 1 Preston Stout.

2. Luke Poulter v. Ethan Fang

A strong back nine which included four birdies over the difficult closing holes ensured Luke Poulter saw out a crucial Singles win for GB&I against Ethan Fang.

3. Jack Whaley v. William Jennings

The U.S. Amateur champion Jack Whaley produced six birdies on his way to a one-sided win over the previously unbeaten William Jennings. The 8&7 margin of victory was the largest ever by a GB&I player overtaking Irish legend Joe Carr’s 7&5 win at Turnberry in 1963.

4. Tyler Weaver v. Jay Leng Jr

Tyler Weaver finally lived up to his billing as GB&I’s top player at the 51st Walker Cup match. Four birdies and an eagle saw him pull away from Jay Leng Jr to ensure GB&I would take all four of the opening Singles.

5. Niall Sheils Donegan v. Kihei Akina

Despite not being at his best Niall Sheils Donegan battled for a point against Kihei Akina in a game he trailed in for the majority of the holes.

6. Eliot Baker v. Stewart Hagestad

Eliot Baker produced a clutch up and down on the 18th hole to pick up a hard earned win against USA Singles talisman Stewart Hagestad.

7. Connor Graham v. Miles Russell

Having been 3Down after 11 holes Connor Graham finished with five birdies over the final seven, and crucially two on the last two, to salvage a half in a game he looked destined to lose for most of the afternoon.

8. Josh Hill v. Tyler Watts

Josh Hill produced a memorable up and down from the front right bunker on 18 to win his tight game against Tyler Watts and in doing so secure a Walker Cup victory that will live long in the memory.

9. Ben Bolton v. Ryder Cowan

Ryder Cowan didn’t drop a shot as his consistency proved too much for Ben Bolton. The Enville man had taken an early lead before finding the pressure as the match came down to the wire a little too much to handle.

10. Sam Easterbrook v. Josiah Gilbert

Josiah Gilbert found his links form on the final afternoon with a solid performance against Sam Easterbrook. The American started well taking the lead on the 2nd and never looked back on his way to a hardly troubled 4&3 win.

Session Score: GB&I 7.0 – 3.0 USA

Day 2 Result: GB&I 7.0 – 7.0 USA

Match Result: GB&I 13.5 – 12.5 USA

Here is my summary of the Day 2 Individual Performances: –

All of the scorecard graphics shown above are courtesy of The R&A / Golfbox Scoring.

ME.

199. 2026 Walker Cup – Day 1 Report

5th September 2026

DAY 1 REPORT

Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) edged the opening day of the 51st Walker Cup match at Lahinch G.C., earning a 6½ – 5½ lead against the United States of America (USA).

It is the eleventh time that GB&I have led the Walker Cup at the end of Day 1. However, they have only been able to convert the previous ten leads into match wins on five occasions (1938, 1989, 1995, 2011 and 2015).

Niall Sheils Donegan led GB&I with two wins and was ably supported by Stuart Grehan and Eliot Baker who contributed 1.5 points each on Day 1.

Ethan Fang delivered 1.5 points for the USA with Stewart Hagestad and William Jennings both entered the fray successfully with wins in the afternoon Singles series for the visitors.

Speaking at the close of play GB&I captain Dean Robertson said “To be ahead, we’re thrilled at that. Last year we had the great foursomes session in the morning at Cypress Point and got turned over. This time we’re going ahead tomorrow.”

“So we’re under no illusions. It’s going to be extremely challenging. But I think the weather is going to play a factor as well tomorrow, so everybody will have to be on their mettle and it’s going to be a tough day. The US team went to 10 in the singles, have always had that depth, but we’ve got depth and confidence in our preparation as well, so we’re ready for tomorrow and looking forward to it.”

USA captain Nathan Smith said “We need to come out, play well in the morning session and then you got ten points in the afternoon. So we need to be ready to play. We feel good about how we played today. Some great golf out there and still feel good about a lot of our pairings. We’ll be ready to go tomorrow.

“A lot of these matches, it seems like the last how many Walker Cups have kind of started like this. I think probably both teams probably feel good about where they are at and just going to go play for it tomorrow.”

SATURDAY FOURSOMES (6,777 yards)

The Saturday Foursomes draw was announced at the Opening Ceremony on Friday evening with play commencing at Lahinch at 8.30am.

Dean Robertson, GB&I captain, chose not to select Ben Bolton and U.S. Amateur champion Jake Whaley for this session whilst Nathan Smith, USA captain, rested Stewart Hagestad and William Jennings.

GB&I reprised two of their 2025 Cypress Point foursome pairings, Stuart Grehan & Eliot Baker and Connor Graham and Tyler Weaver.

In an entertaining start to the match three of the four Foursomes games required all 18 holes to be played. In the end GB&I took the session 2.5 – 1.5 with their two experienced pairings contributing 1.5 of these points.

It is the third consecutive match where GB&I have taken an early lead against USA. In 2023 at St Andrews and 2025 at Cypress Point they led by 3.0 – 1.0. In fact USA haven’t won an opening Foursomes session since 2009 (3.0 – 1.0).

1. Stuart Grehan & Eliot Baker v. Preston Stout & Ethan Fang

Stuart Grehan and Eliot Baker gained a half point for GB&I against world number one Preston Stout and Ethan Fang after the 2025 Amateur Champion pushed his par putt for USA wide on the 18th.

2. Connor Graham & Tyler Weaver v. Jay Leng Jr & Kihei Akina

Connor Graham and Tyler Weaver won a high quality match against Jay Leng Jr and Kihei Akina thanks largely to an unbelievable putting display by the Scotsman.

3. Luke Poulter & Sam Easterbrook v. Miles Russel & Tyler Watts

Luke Poulter and Sam Easterbrook fought back well from being 3Down with 8 holes to play to take the left-handed pairing of Miles Russell and Tyler Watts to the final hole. Russell won the day with a clutch birdie putt which Easterbrook nearly matched but just lipped out.

4. Niall Sheils Donegan & Josh Hill v. Josiah Gilbert & Ryder Cowan

Niall Sheils Donegan and Josh Hill delivered a convincing 4&3 win against Josiah Gilbert and Ryder Cowan in the final game. The GB&I pairing took the lead on the 3rd hole and built on it nicely as the American pairing were unable to get anything going in a disappointing performance.

Session Score: GB&I 2.5 – 1.5 USA

SATURDAY SINGLES (6,796 yards)

With only eight Singles being played on Day 1 two players from each team had to miss the afternoon series.

Captain Robertson dropped Sam Easterbrook and Josh Hill from his GB&I line up giving Ben Bolton and Jake Whaley their debuts. Nathan Smith left Kihei Akina and Ryder Cowan out introducing experienced Stewart Hagestad and William Jennings to his team.

After USA started the session strongly GB&I delivered three late wins to ensure the session was halved 4.0 – 4.0.

1. Stuart Grehan v. Preston Stout

Home favourite Stuart Grehan called upon all of his experience to produce an outstanding display battling back to win his game against a stunned Preston Stout on the last with a birdie four.

2. Jack Whaley v. Ethan Fang

In an up and down game Ethan Fang got the better of Jack Whaley by 1 Hole. Whaley, having battled back superbly from a hot start by his opponent, will be disappointed with his play over the closing holes which led to at least a half point slipping away from the hosts.

3. Connor Graham v. William Jennings

William Jennings showed his class this afternoon with a solid 1 Hole win against GB&I’s Connor Graham. Given the number of lengthy putts he holed today it seems unfair to suggest that Graham will be reflecting on a few short misses on the back nine but ultimately they cost him a second win on Day 1.

4. Tyler Weaver v. Jay Leng Jr

Tyler Weaver, understandably not as competitively sharp as he would like due to his recent five month injury lay, just came up short against an in form Jay Leng Jr.

5. Ben Bolton v. Stewart Hagestad

Stewart Hagestad extended his impressive Walker Cup singles record to eight wins with a 2&1 victory over Ben Bolton. Timely birdies at the par-3 11th and shortly afterwards at the 13th swung the match in favour of the tall American.

6. Luke Poulter v. Miles Russell

Luke Poulter got revenge for his late foursomes loss earlier in the day with a good win against Miles Russell. The Florida-based Englishman notched five birdies as he took the game on the 17th green.

7. Niall Sheils Donegan v. Tyler Watts

After a good Walker Cup debut at Cypress Point last year Niall Sheils Donegan continues to impress in the match. He notched his second win of the day against World No. 2 Tyler Watts; his short game and consistency too much for the American to handle.

8. Eliot Baker v. Josiah Gilbert

Eliot Baker completed a fine tail end performance from GB&I with a solid 3&2 win against Josiah Gilbert who was unable to muster much resistance.

Session Score: GB&I 4.0 – 4.0 USA

Day 1 Score: GB&I 6.5 – 5.5 USA

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

All of the scorecard graphics shown above are courtesy of The R&A / Golfbox Scoring.

ME.

198. 2026 GB&I Walker Cup Team Is Announced

18th August 2026

The Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team was announced at 10.00am today by The R&A and captain Dean Robertson.

The ten golfers will play against the United States of America in the 51st Walker Cup match at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland on 5th-6th September.

Stuart GREHAN (IRL) was the first player to make the team, gaining automatic selection in June 2026 when he won the Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool G.C.

In line with the stated team selection criteria Tyler WEAVER (ENG) #2, Luke POULTER (ENG) #5, Eliot BAKER (ENG) #16 and Niall SHEILS DONEGAN (SCO) #18 also earned automatic selection on the 6th August 2025 based on their World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) on that date.

Jack WHALEY (ENG) gained automatic selection on 16th August 2026 when he won the U.S. Amateur Championship at Merion G.C. It appears that the Yorkshireman was not under final consideration until his historic victory brought him front and centre.

The above left GB&I captain Dean Robertson with four picks. Today’s announcement confirmed that he had selected Ben BOLTON (ENG), Sam EASTERBROOK (ENG), Connor GRAHAM (SCO) and Josh HILL (ENG) to complete his line-up.

Josh Hill’s commitment to making the team and his performance at the Lahinch training camp in July, where he demonstrated the skills required to play the course in all conditions, seems to have been decisive for the selectors.

The team will therefore be made up of 7 English players, 2 Scottish and 1 Irish.

Thomas HIGGINS and David HOWARD were announced as the first and second reserves respectively. Tyler Weaver and to a lesser degree Ben Bolton have both been managing their recent workloads due to ongoing back injuries so this may prove to be important.

Dean Robertson stated in his press conference that “Tom HIGGINS would have been in the team, 100 per cent (before Whaley’s U.S. Amateur win). I would have loved to have more Irish on the team. Thomas stood up and he won the Europeans for Ireland. He makes more birdies than any of the other players in the team but he offsets that with a lot of bogeys as well. The selection I have made is a fair selection and it’s an unbiased selection.” Higgins, 23, has an impressive match play record and won the Irish Close last week.

Wales can also count themselves as being unlucky to miss out on representation in 2026 with Tomi BOWEN (WAL), Caolan BURFORD (WAL) and Sean DAVID (WAL), who won the 2026 South of Ireland at the host venue, all making reasonable claims for inclusion.

Tom OSBORNE (ENG), who appeared a lock for the team after winning both the Spanish International Amateur and Brabazon Trophy earlier this year, seemingly peaked too soon and played his way off the team when he failed to feature in the bigger summer events.

Six players who competed in the 2025 match at Cypress Point will be returning for GB&I, namely, Eliot Baker, Connor Graham, Stuart Grehan, Luke Poulter, Niall Sheils Donegan and Tyler Weaver. GB&I have benefitted more than USA, who only have three returning players, from the match uniquely falling just one year after the last one at Cypress Point.

Ben Bolton, Sam Easterbrook, Josh Hill and Jack Whaley will be making their Walker Cup debuts at Lahinch.

Dean Robertson said “It is a tremendous honour to captain Great Britain and Ireland again and I’m excited by the team we have selected for the match at Lahinch. We have a really exciting blend of players who have experienced the Walker Cup before and others who have earned their first opportunity through some excellent performances over the last year.”

“We have players who have won important championships, performed at the highest level in amateur golf and demonstrated that they can deliver results in international match play. Playing at Lahinch will make this a particularly special Walker Cup. We know there will be fantastic support for the team in Ireland and our players will be determined to give those supporters plenty to get behind. We learned a great deal from Cypress Point and everyone involved is hugely motivated by the challenge ahead.”

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

GB&I Player Profiles

Eliot BAKER (23) – Tiverton, England / WAGR #16
Runner-Up in the 2026 Spanish International Amateur Championship
Winner of the Individual title at the 2026 European Nations Cup at Sotogrande, helping England secure the team title.
Runner-up in the 2026 Brabazon Trophy.
Made Walker Cup debut at Cypress Point in 2025.
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.

Ben BOLTON (19) – Enville, England / WAGR #92
Tied 3rd in the Lytham Trophy.
Tied 3rd in the individual standings at the European Nations Cup at Sotogrande, helping England secure the team title.
Top 10 finishes in the 2026 Portuguese International Amateur and Spanish International Amateur.
Won the 2025 Berkhamsted Trophy.
Bolton has previously played for GB&I in the Jacques Leglise Trophy.

Sam EASTERBOOK (19) – Olton, England / WAGR #80
Top-20 Individual finish at the 2026 NCAA National Championship.
First individual collegiate victory for Purdue at the 2025 Puerto Rico Classic.
Reached the quarter-finals of 2026 Amateur Championship.
Came close to securing a major championship debut through Final Qualifying for The 154th Open and the new Last-Chance Qualifier at Royal Birkdale.

Connor GRAHAM (19) – Blairgowrie, Scotland / WAGR #25
Graham, the youngest player (16) to ever compete in the match, will be making his third successive Walker Cup appearance at Lahinch.
He has recorded nine top-20 finishes in 12 events for Texas Tech in 2026.
He was also a member of the winning International team in the Arnold Palmer Cup for the second successive year.
He qualified for The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush in 2025.
Graham was the leading stroke-play qualifier in both the 2024 and 2025 Amateur Championships.

Stuart GREHAN (33) – County Louth, Ireland / WAGR #24
Winner of the 2026 Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool in June.
Tied 3rd in the 2026 Irish Amateur Open, having won that title and the Irish Amateur Close following his return to amateur golf in 2025.
Walker Cup debut at Cypress Point.
Grehan played for GB&I in the 2016 and 2025 St Andrews Trophy matches.
He won the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch in 2015.

Josh HILL (22) – Fox Den (USA), England / WAGR #96
Hill, who grew up in Dubai, has impressed in his final college season at the University of Tennessee recording eight top-25 finishes in 2026.
He reached the quarter-finals of the South of Ireland Amateur at Lahinch in July.
Hill previously represented GB&I in the Jacques Leglise Trophy.

Luke POULTER (22) – Woburn, England / WAGR #6
Poulter will be making his second GB&I Walker Cup appearance.
A member of the winning International Team at the 2025 and 2026 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Poulter won the 2026 NCAA Columbus Regional representing Florida.
Member of the victorious 2025 GB&I St. Andrews Trophy team.
Won the Schenkel Invitational U.S. collegiate event in 2025.

Niall SHEILS DONEGAN (28) – Meadow Club (USA), Scotland / WAGR #18
Born in Scotland and raised in California.
A member of the winning International team in the 2026 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Sheils Donegan will make his second successive Walker Cup appearance at Lahinch after impressing at Cypress Point last year.
Rising senior at North Carolina after transferring from Northwestern last summer.
Semi-Finalist at the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship. Made the Round of 32 this year.
Qualified for the knockout stages of The Amateur Championship in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
4th in the 2025 St Andrews Links Trophy.

Tyler WEAVER (21) – Bury St Edmunds, England / WAGR #2
A strong 2025/26 season for Florida State (69.58 scoring average) highlighted by his second collegiate title at the Valspar Collegiate Invitational.
Worringly Weaver has not played competitively since mid-April 2026 due to injury.
Played in the 2025 U.S. Open Championship.
Unbeaten 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.

Jack WHALEY (22) – Rotherham, England / WAGR #90
Winner of the 2026 U.S. Amateur, becoming only the third Englishman to win the Championship.
The rising Florida State senior – who spent his first two years at NAIA Dalton State College before transferring – has played well in the states this year posting four top tens
While at Dalton, he won five NAIA tournaments and won every national NAIA honour, including the Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Phil Mickelson Awards.

Reserves

Thomas HIGGINS (23) – Roscommon, Ireland / WAGR #191

David HOWARD (27) – Fota Island, Ireland / WAGR #817

ME.

197. 2026 USA Walker Cup Team Is Announced

16th August 2026

Following the conclusion of the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship on Sunday 16th August the USGA’s Teams Selection Committee working group confirmed the 10 players who will represent the USA in the 2026 Walker Cup match.

The USA Team, led by captain Nathan Smith, will compete against Great Britain and Ireland in the 51st Walker Cup Match on 5th-6th September at Lahinch G.C. in County Claire, Ireland.

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

Preston STOUT (22), Tyler WATTS (18) and Ethan FANG (21) who were ranked 1st, 3rd and 4th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) were automatically selected on 8th July 2026.

Miles RUSSELL (17), WAGR ranked #5 at the time, was also added to the USA roster by the USGA Team Selection Committee when they formally announced the above on 9th July 2026.

USA Walker Cup Team (Graphic: USGA)

Kihei AKINA (19 / WAGR #110, Ryder COWAN (21 / WAGR #8), Josiah GILBERT (21 / WAGR #7), William JENNINGS (20 / WAGR #5), Stewart HAGESTAD (35 / WAGR #27) and Jay LENG JR. (20 / WAGR #23) were the additional players named to the 2026 USA Walker Cup Team this evening.

Max HERENDEEN (21 / WAGR #26) of Bellevue, Washington and Logan REILLY (19 / WAGR #56) of Lovettsville, Virginia were also named as the USA’s first and second alternates, respectively.

The USA will have three returning players in their 2026 line-up, namely Stewart Hagestad, Ethan Fang and Preston Stout.

USA Player Profiles – Courtesy of the USGA

Kihei AKINA (20) – Alpine, Utah
Earned the 2026 Phil Mickelson Award as the nation’s top collegiate freshman in his first season at Brigham Young University.
Akina tied for eighth in the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa Resort.
He was runner-up in the Big 12 Conference Championship and won a pair of collegiate tournaments during the 2025-26 season.
He has made two cuts on the PGA TOUR in 2026.
Akina made the Quarter finals of this year’s Amateur Championship and the Round of 64 at the U.S. Amateur.

Ryder COWAN (21) – Edmond, Oklahoma
Earned low-amateur honors at the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, finishing tied 23rd.
He is a rising University of Oklahoma senior having posted one collegiate victory this past season.
Cowan has qualified for the last three U.S. Amateurs.

Ethan FANG (21) – Plano, Texas
WAGR No. 4 after winning the Maridoe Collegiate and finishing in the top 10 of the Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship.
A junior at Oklahoma State.
In 2025, he captured The Amateur Championship at Royal St. George’s.
He represented USA at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore.

Josiah GILBERT (21) – Millbrook, Alabama
A rising senior at Auburn University, where he helped the Tigers to their 2024 and 2026 NCAA Division I titles.
DGilbert’s 2026 season earned him PING Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-SEC honors.
Currently No. 8 on the WAGR, Gilbert advanced to match play in his third U.S. Amateur appearance.

Stewart HAGESTAD (35) – Newport Beach, California
He will be competing in his sixth Walker Cup match. He has won all five he’s played and has W7-L1 record.
U.S. Mid-Amateur champion in 2016, 2021 & 2023.
Hagestad has qualified for five U.S. Opens, making one cut once in 2022.
Only invited U.S. Mid-Amateur champion to make the cut at The Masters (2017).
Advanced to the Round of 32 at the 2026 U.S. Amateur.
Works as a broker for investment bank BDT & MSD Partners in Palm Beach, FL.

William JENNINGS (20) – Greenville, South Carolina
A rising junior at the University of Alabama he earned a 2nd place finish during the stroke-play portion of the 2026 NCAA National Championships.
He has one collegiate victory to his name at the Fields of Honor Collegiate in 2025.
He advanced to match play at the 2025 and 2026 (Round of 16) U.S. Amateur Championships.

Jay LENG JR (20) – San Diego, California
Winner of the 2026 Western Amateur and Runner-up at the 2026 U.S. Amateur and Northeast Amateur.
A rising junior at Stanford.
Leng Jr. advanced to the semi-finals of the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur.
He was also a member of the 2023 USA Junior Ryder Cup Team.

Miles RUSSELL (17) – Jacksonville Beach, Florida
The left-hander finished fifth at the Northeast Amateur, tied 2nd at the Jones Cup and won the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.
Currently ranked 5th in WAGR he has committed to Florida State in 2027.
In 2024, Russell became the youngest player in Korn Ferry Tour history to make a cut, doing so at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in Florida.
Also named the 2023 and 2025 AJGA’s Player of the Year.

PRESTON STOUT (21) – Dallas, Texas
Rising senior at Oklahoma State where he claimed the 2026 NCAA Division I individual title and helped his team to victory in the 2025 Championship.
Stout currently sits at No. 1 in WAGR after posting four collegiate victories in the 2025-26 season.
Represented the USA in the 2025 Palmer Cup, World Amateur Team Championship and Walker Cup.
Won the 2025 Northeast Amateur by eight strokes.

Tyler WATTS (18) – Huntsville, Alabama
Became the youngest winner of the Northeast Amateur in June 2026.
Watts, WAGR No. 3, will be starting at the University of Tennessee later this month.
In 2025 he won the 84th Sunnehanna Amateur after shooting 18 under par, the lowest 72-hole score in the history of the event.
The left hander also made the championship match of the 2025 North & South Amateur at Pinehurst.
In 2023, Watts claimed the 107th Alabama State Amateur Championship title, setting the record as the youngest player in history to win at age 15.
That same year, he won the Jones Cup Junior Invitational at Sea Island (Ga.) G.C.

ME.

196. Four More Names Are Added To The GB&I Walker Cup Team

5th August 2026

Tyler WEAVER (ENG) #2, Luke POULTER (ENG) #5, Eliot BAKER (ENG) #16 and Niall SHEILS DONEGAN (SCO) #18 have today automatically qualified for the Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) Walker Cup team.

The top-five GB&I players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) published on 5th August were all guaranteed spots in the GB&I line up for the forthcoming match at Lahinch G.C.

Stuart GREHAN (IRL) #22, who earned his place in June when he won the 2026 Amateur Championship, was the fifth highest ranked player. Having already qualified for the team (he also failed to meet the minimum divisor of 18.0 rule) this place now reverts to a captain’s pick.

All five of the players selected to date represented GB&I in the 2025 match at Cypress Point.

The GB&I team of 10 players will therefore include five picks by Dean Robertson, assuming no GB&I player wins the U.S. Amateur Championship next week, and be formally announced on Tuesday 18th August.

It should be noted that whilst Tyler Weaver attended a squad meeting at Lahinch G.C. ahead of the recent South of Ireland Amateur Championship he has not played competitively since 26th April due to injury. He has also withdrawn from the U.S. Amateur Championship and given his inability to demonstrate his fitness to compete may decide to stand down.

European WAGR Extract As At 5th August 2026 (Graphic: WAGR)

The USGA Team Selection Committee have not announced any additional players to their Walker Cup team in recent weeks.

The winner of the 2026 U.S. Amateur Championship, set to be played at Merion G.C. on 10th-16th August, and the recipient of the 2026 McCormack Medal, will also earn automatic exemptions, should they be American.

The remaining USA team members are scheduled to be announced at the conclusion of the U.S. Amateur Championship on Sunday 16th August.

ME.

195. 2026 Walker Cup Teams Start To Take Shape

8th & 9th July 2026

With less than 60 days to go until the 51st Walker Cup match begins the two teams are now starting to take shape as some of the selections are confirmed.

Stuart GREHAN (IRL) claimed the first place in the Great Britain & Ireland team when he won the 131st Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool G.C. on 20th June 2026. His win over USA’s Matt Moloney earned him an automatic selection to the GB&I team.

Stuart Grehan (Photo: Oisin Keniry / R&A / R&A via Getty Images)

The top-five GB&I players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) published on 5th August will be the next to gain automatic selection.

The top 5 as at 8th July are Tyler WEAVER (ENG) #2, Luke POULTER (ENG) #7, Niall SHEILS DONEGAN (SCO) #18, Stuart GREHAN (IRL) #19 (although he does not meet the divisor of 18 rule) and Eliot BAKER (ENG) #21.

Weaver has been injured since late April and is running out of time to prove his fitness for the match in early September. Grehan, as the Amateur champion, has already secured his place on the team. These positions are not transferable so captain Dean Robertson may end up having one or possibly two additional picks.

The full GB&I team of 10 players is scheduled to be announced on Tuesday 18th August.

As Preston STOUT (22) #1, Tyler WATTS (18) #3 and Ethan FANG #4 (21) were the three highest-ranked American players in the WAGR as of 8th July they have earned automatic exemptions from the USGA onto the 2026 USA Walker Cup Team. Stout and Fang competed in last year’s match at Cypress Point.

USA WAGR Extract As At 8th July 2026 (Graphic: WAGR)

Miles RUSSELL (17), WAGR ranked #5, was also added to the USA roster by the USGA Team Selection Committee on 9th July 2026.

The USGA Team Selection Committee stated in their announcement that they may also name additional players to their Walker Cup team in the coming weeks.

The winner of the 2026 U.S. Amateur Championship, set to be played at Merion G.C. in August, and the recipient of the 2026 McCormack Medal, will also earn automatic exemptions, should they be American.

The remaining USA team members are scheduled to be announced at the conclusion of the U.S. Amateur Championship on Sunday 16th August.

ME.

194. Tickets & Schedule For The 2026 Walker Cup Match

27th March 2026

NB. The R&A announced on the 26th August 2026 that the match had sold out in advance with c.8,000 spectators expected on each day.

Tickets for the 51st Walker Cup Match on 5th-6th September 2026, which is to be played for the first time at Lahinch G.C. in County Clare, Ireland, have gone on sale today.

Weekend Passes will cost €80 while Single Day tickets will cost €45 each.

All children under-16 years old will be given free entry if accompanied by a paying adult. Discounted youth tickets are also available for 16-24 year olds.

Click here to view – The R&A’s Ticket Page

An early bird offer, applying only to the first 500 tickets sold, of €70 for the Weekend Pass and €40 for either the Saturday or Sunday was fully taken up within hours of the site going live.

The match schedule was also outlined by The R&A: –

Friday 4th September – Practice Day

8.00am: AM Team Practice
1.30pm: PM Team Practice
5.00pm: Opening Ceremony

Saturday 5th September – Match Day 1

8.00am: Four foursome matches
1:45pm: Eight singles matches

Sunday 6th September – Match Day 2

8.00am: Four foursome matches
1:30pm: Ten singles matches
7.00pm: Closing Ceremony

ME.

192. USGA Announce 2026 Walker Cup USA Practice Squad

30th October 2025

The USGA’s International Team Selection (ITS) Committee has invited 18 players to attend a Walker Cup practice session on 18th-20th December 2025. The players will play at Jupiter Hills Golf Club, McArthur Golf Club and Seminole Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida.

Nathan Smith, who will captain the USA Team for a second time in the 2026 Walker Cup match at Lahinch Golf Club, will lead the event.

The following players will be in attendance: –

Evan BECK (35) of Virginia Beach, Virginia (Mid-Amateur)
Luke COLTON (18) of Frisco, Texas (High School – 2026)
Ethan FANG (20) of Plano, Texas (Oklahoma State, junior)
Josiah GILBERT (20) of Houston, Texas (Auburn, junior)
Stewart HAGESTAD (34) of Newport Beach, California (Mid-Amateur)
Max HERENDEEN (20) of Bellevue, Washington (Illinois, junior)
Mason HOWELL (18) of Thomasville, Georgia (High School – 2026)
Jackson KOIVUN (20) of Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Auburn, junior)
Michael LA SASSO (21) of Raleigh, North Carolina (Ole Miss, senior)
Bryan LEE (21) of Fairfax, Virginia (Virginia, senior)
Bobby MASSA (37) of Dallas, Texas (Mid-Amateur)
Jacob MODLESKI (20) of Noblesville, Indiana (Notre Dame, junior)
Miles RUSSELL (16) of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. (High School – 2027)
Lance SIMPSON (22) of Knoxville, Tennessee (Tennessee, senior)
Preston STOUT (21) of Dallas, Texas (Oklahoma State, junior)
Cameron TANKERSLEY (22) of Dickson, Tennessee (Ole Miss, senior)
Jack TURNER (21) of Orlando, Florida (Florida, junior)
Tyler WATTS (18) of Huntsville, Alabama (High School – 2026)

Seven of these players, namely Ethan Fang, Stewart Hagestad, Mason Howell, Jackson Koivun, Michael La Sasso, Jacob Modleski and Preston Stout, represented USA in the 2025 Walker Cup match at Cypress Point.

The other three 2025 USA team members, Ben James, Tommy Morrison and Jase Summy, are all college seniors and have presumably declined invitations on the basis that they will be turning pro in May 2026.

WAGR-ranked No. 1 Koivun, who earned his PGA TOUR card in May 2025, through the PGA TOUR University Accelerated program is attending but it remains to be seen whether he stays amateur long enough to play at Lahinch. He has earned the right to turn pro after either the 2026 or 2027 NCAA Championships and take up his season and a half PGA TOUR membership.

An invitation to the Walker Cup practice session does not guarantee selection to the team. Players not invited will also be considered for inclusion on the team as the 2026 season plays out.

Eight and seven of the 16 players from the December 2024 and 2022 Walker Cup practice sessions respectively competed in the 2025 and 2023 matches.

The 51st Match will be played at Lahinch G.C. in the Republic of Ireland, on 5th-6th September 2026.

ME.

Dean Robertson Re-Appointed GB&I Walker Cup Captain

13th October 2025

Dean Robertson, 55, will continue as captain of the Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) team for the 51st Walker Cup match.

This next match will be played on 5th-6th September 2026 at Lahinch G.C. in Ireland.

Dean Robertson (Photo: The R&A)

The R&A stated that the “Scot’s meticulous work behind-the-scenes and strong rapport developed with the players helped secure the backing for a second stint as Captain.”

Robertson, who took charge of the GB&I team for the recent 17.0-9.0 defeat at Cypress Point, will now aim to halt the USA’s run of five straight wins and secure a GB&I’s first victory since 2015.

The Head of Golf at the University of Stirling said “I am proud to accept the honour of captaining Great Britain and Ireland again in the Walker Cup. Leading a talented group of players at Cypress Point this year was a huge privilege and while we produced strong foursomes performances, the singles showed us the improvement and belief needed to achieve victory. I am committed to captaining the team with drive and determination over the iconic links of Lahinch. The focus will be to build on this year’s performance with the goal of winning back the Walker Cup next year.”

Robertson represented GB&I in the Walker Cup in 1993 and then turned professional that year. He went on to win the Italian Open in 1999.

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.

158. Lahinch G.C. To Host The 2026 Walker Cup Match

10th July 2023

The R&A have announced that Lahinch Golf Club, located on the west coast of Ireland, will host the 51st Walker Cup match on 5th-6th September 2026.

The biennial match is moving to even years from 2026 so that it is not held in the same year as the World Amateur Team Championships. It will therefore follow on quickly from the 2025 contest being played at Cypress Point G.C. in California.

It will be the third occasion that the match has been played in Ireland with Lahinch following in the footsteps of Portmarnock (1991) and Royal County Down (2007).

The choice of Lahinch by the R&A ties in nicely with the rumours surrounding Paul McGinley as a likely future GB&I Walker Cup captain.

The famous links course was originally laid out by Old Tom Morris before Dr. Alistair Mackenzie re-designed it solely in the sandhills in 1926/27. Dr. Matin Hawtree completed a sympathetic restoration in the early 2000’s to bring it fully up to date.

Lahinch is the long standing home of the South of Ireland Amateur Championship which has been played annually since 1895. As such it is well known to the Irish amateur golfing community.

More recently it hosted the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in 2019, an event won by Spain’s John Rahm. This Championship was hosted for the DP World Tour by McGinley.

As a precursor the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup match between a mixed team of International and USA collegiate golfers is also being played at Lahinch.

Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, said, “Lahinch is widely regarded as being one of the finest links courses in Ireland and so there will be great excitement at the prospect of the Walker Cup being played there for the very first time.

“Whenever we have staged a championship or international match on the island of Ireland, we have always been fortunate to have Irish fans turn out in great numbers to support the competing golfers and generate a fantastic atmosphere.

“We look forward to enjoying another special occasion in 2026 when many of the world’s best men’s amateur golfers will represent Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of America to compete for this historic trophy.”

Click here to read The R&A Announcement – ‘The 51st Walker Cup Match to be played at Lahinch in 2026’

ME.