Mike McCoy – Walker Cup

159. USA Adds Dunlap And Surratt To Their 2023 Line-Up

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’

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145. Sixteen Players Selected For USA 2023 Walker Cup Practice Session

15th November 2022

The USGA’s International Team Selection Committee announced today that it had invited 16 players to attend a USA Walker Cup practice session on 15-18 December 2022 in Jupiter, Florida.

The following players have accepted invitations: –

Evan BECK, 32, of Virginia Beach, VA (Wake Forest, 2013 graduate)
– SPWAR #171 / WAGR #66 *

Michael BRENNAN, 20, of Leesburg, VA (Wake Forest, junior)
– SPWAR #29 / WAGR #18

David FORD, 20, of Peachtree Corners, GA (North Carolina, sophomore)
– SPWAR #5 / WAGR #7

Nicholas GABRELCIK, 20, of Trinity, FL (North Florida, junior)
– SPWAR #12 / WAGR #9

Stewart HAGESTAD, 31, of Newport Beach, CA (South. Cal., 2013 grad.)
– SPWAR #118 / WAGR #8

Derek HITCHNER, 23, of Minneapolis, MN (Pepperdine, grad. student)
– SPWAR #20 / WAGR #36

Palmer JACKSON, 21, of Murrysville, PA (Notre Dame, senior)
– SPWAR #30 / WAGR #43

Benjamin JAMES, 17, of Milford, CT (Virginia, freshman)
– SPWAR #33 / WAGR #21

Bryce LEWIS, 22, of Hendersonville, TN (Tennessee, junior)
– SPWAR #17 / WAGR #30

Dylan MENANTE, 21, of Carlsbad, CA (North Carolina, senior)
– SPWAR #9 / WAGR #6

Maxwell MOLDOVAN, 20, of Uniontown, OH (Ohio State, junior)
– SPWAR #11 / WAGR #23

Gordon SARGENT, 19, of Birmingham, AL (Vanderbilt, sophomore)
– SPWAR #4 / WAGR #3

Cole SHERWOOD, 20, of Austin, TX (Vanderbilt, junior)
– SPWAR #18 / WAGR #12

Ross STEELMAN, 21, of Atlanta, GA (Georgia Tech, senior)
– SPWAR #14 / WAGR #22

Caleb SURRATT, 18, of Indian Trail, NC (Tennessee, freshman)
– SPWAR #3 / WAGR #13

Michael THORBJORNSEN, 21, of Wellesley, MA (Stanford, junior)
– SPWAR #1 / WAGR #4

Stewart Hagestad, the 2016 and 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, is the only player with previous Walker Cup experience (in 2017, 2019, 2021) to be attending the practice session.

Notable omissions include William MOUW (SPWAR #6 / WAGR #15), Austen GREASER (SPWAR #7 / WAGR #5), Sam BENNETT (SPWAR #8 / WAGR #2), Travis VICK (SPWAR #15 / WAGR #10) Kelly CHINN (SPWAR #19 / WAGR #90), Ben CARR (SPWAR #21 / WAGR #56), Ricky CASTILLO (SPWAR #27 / WAGR #24) and John BUTLER (SPWAR #28 / WAGR #39). These players are expected to turn pro once the college season has been completed in May 2023 and all are believed to have excused themselves.

The arrival of LIV Golf, who have shown an interest in signing up top amateurs, and subsequent changes to the PGA Tour University programme, which is now offering the No. 1 college player direct access to the PGA Tour after the conclusion of the NCAA Div. I Championship, are both expected to accentuate the above issue, particularly where graduated seniors are concerned.

USA Team Practice Session (Graphic: USGA)

Mike McCoy, captain of the 2023 USA Team, said “The young golf talent in this country is impressive, and I’m thrilled to gather with this group for a practice session next month. We have a strong list of young men attending; a mixture of seasoned veterans as well as up-and-coming stalwarts of the amateur game. I’m excited to spend more time with this group.”

John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer, said “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. 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.”

Picking up on this final point 10 of the 16 players from the December 2020 USA practice session competed in the May 2021 match at Seminole whilst 7 of the 16 players who attended the December 2018 practice session made the final USA Team for the 2019 match at Royal Liverpool.

The 49th Match will be played on the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland on 2nd-3rd September 2023.

* Amateur rankings as at 15th November 2022.

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140. Mike McCoy and Nathan Smith Named US Captains

9th March 2022

The USGA has announced the selections of Mike McCoy and Nathan Smith as USA Team captains for the 2023 and 2025 Walker Cup matches respectively.

McCoy, 59, is from Des Moines, Iowa where he works in the insurance industry. He played in the 2015 Walker Cup at Royal Lytham & St. Annes where he became the third-oldest Walker Cup competitor in history aged 52. He won the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, becoming the second-oldest champion in the event’s history at age 50. He has competed in a total of 65 USGA championships, including 20 U.S. Amateurs during his career.

Nathan Smith and Mike McCoy (Photo: USGA)

Smith, 43, is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He played in three Walker Cups in 2009, 2011 and 2013. He has won a record four U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships (2003, 2009, 2010, 2012) as well as the inaugural 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, with partner Todd White. He has competed in 48 USGA championships in his career.

The 49th match will be played on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland on 2nd-3rd September 2023 whilst the 50th match will take place at Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, California, USA on 6th-7th September 2025.

“Both Mike and Nathan have long, exceptional histories with the USGA and outstanding amateur golf resumes,” said Stu Francis, USGA president. “Given the historic nature of the next two matches being staged at St. Andrews and Cypress Point, we wanted to give both of them the time to enjoy this leadership opportunity and plan their next few years accordingly.”

This is the first time the USGA has announced two captains concurrently. It is also the first time since the early 1990s that a USA captain will not have been awarded a two match term of office. Back then Vinny Giles (1993 only) followed Jim Gabrielsen (1991, although he had previously done the job in 1981 too).

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60. Scott Harvey Wins The George C. Thomas Jr. Invitational

29th June 2017

Last weekend Scott HARVEY won the George C. Thomas Jr. Invitational Tournament (GCT).

I don’t overly concern myself with the US Walker Cup team but as you know the mid-amateur situation intrigues me.

The GCT is a 54 hole mid-amateur and senior amateur event that was first held in the United States in 2012.

What makes it particularly interesting is the fact that it is staged annually on the North Course at the Los Angeles Country Club, the host venue of the 2017 Walker Cup.

The GCT mid-amateur prize was won by Mike MCCOY in 2013 and 2014. Mike played in the 2015 Walker Cup at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Scott HARVEY won in 2016.

Scott Harvey (Photo: USGA)

This year Scott HARVEY retained his title after a 3 hole play-off with Nathan SMITH and Patrick CHRISTOVICH. Harvey birdied 2 of the extra holes.

In regulation play Harvey shot rounds of 78, 67 and 70 for a 215 (+4) total.

In a report by John Steinbreder in Global Golf Post (USA) Harvey said “I am extremely honoured to be champion again. The Thomas is an incredible tournament filled with great golfers and played on a course I absolute love. Obviously, I hope this boosts my chances to player again in September in the Walker Cup.”

Well it certainly won’t have done any harm as John “Spider” Miller was in attendance and saw the win for himself. Miller said to Steinbreder “I wanted to take another look at the mid-ams as well as the course. I also felt it was important to support the tournament and the Club.”

In summary it’s looking increasing like the USGA will have every reason to select both Harvey and Stewart HAGESTAD for the forthcoming Walker cup match.

View the – George C. Thomas Invitational Results

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