31st July 2023
The USGA’s International Team Selection Working Group (ITS) have added Nick Dunlap and Caleb Surratt to USA’s 2023 Walker Cup team.
Nick Dunlap and Caleb Surratt (Photo: USGA)
Nick Dunlap, 19, of Huntsville, Alabama has enjoyed an excellent early summer highlighted by back-to-back wins at the Northeast Amateur and the North & South Amateur. As a result he is currently leading the 2023 Elite Amateur Golf Series standings. He is a rising sophomore at the University of Alabama and previously won the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.
Caleb Surratt, 19, of Indian Trail, North Carolina came into the summer after a consistent collegiate season where he enjoyed seven top-10 finishes and garnered first-team All-American honours. A rising sophomore at the University of Tennessee he was runner-up to Dunlap at this year’s Northeast Amateur. In 2022 Surratt won the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, became the first back-to-back winner of the Terra Cotta Invitational and won the 2022 Elite Amateur Golf Series.
Whilst Surratt attended the USA’s Squad practice session in Florida in December 2022 Dunlap was not considered in the running at that time so has had to play his way onto the team in 2023.
“Nick and Caleb are excellent additions to further solidify this year’s team,” said Mike McCoy, 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 be rewarded. I look forward to having them on our side at the Old Course.”
The pair join David Ford, Gordon Sargent and Michael Thorbjornsen who earned automatic selections to the 10-player roster on 21st June 2023 as the three highest-ranked American players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
All five of the selected players are in the current WAGR top 10 (26th July 2023 Release). The ITS met in the week commencing 17th July to make this decision so Dunlap and Surratt were even more highly ranked at the time.
WAGR Top 10 26th July 2023 Release (Graphic: WAGR)
Click here to view the current – WAGR Men’s Ranking
The winner of the 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship, set to take place on 14th-20th August at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado, and the recipient of the 2023 McCormack Medal, provided they are American, will earn the final automatic spots on the team.
The ITS working group will name final selections to the team and alternates immediately following the U.S. Amateur Championship on 20th August 2023.
The USA Team will compete against Great Britain and Ireland in the 49th Walker Cup Match on 2nd-3rd September 2023 at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland.
Click here to view my earlier articles concerning the USA Team Selection: –
‘155. USGA Provides 2023 Walker Cup USA Team Selection Timetable’
‘157. USA’s Three 2023 WAGR Picks Are Confirmed’
ME.
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