20th August 2023
Following the completion of the U.S. Amateur Championship at Cherry Hills G.C. the USGA’s International Team Selection Working Group (ITS) confirmed the remaining six players who would complete the USA’s 2023 Walker Cup team: –
Nick GABRRELCIK, 21, of Trinity, Florida – WAGR #10
Austin GREASER, 22, of Vandalia, Ohio – WAGR #8
Stewart HAGESTAD, 32, of Newport Beach, California – WAGR #15
Ben JAMES, 20, of Milford, Connecticut – WAGR #6
Dylan MENANTE, 22, of Carlsbad, California – WAGR #5
Preston SUMMERHAYS, 21, of Scottsdale, Arizona – WAGR #18
These six players join the four that had previously been selected to the team.
Nick DUNLAP, 19 – Huntsville, Alabama
David FORD, 20 – Peachtree Corners, Georgia
Gordon SARGENT, 20 – Birmingham, Alabama
Caleb SURRATT, 19 – Indian Trail, North Carolina
The three highest ranked American players, Gordon SARGENT #1, Michael THORBJORNSEN (21) #2 and David FORD #4 (previously #3), in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) on 21st June 2023 received automatic selections two months ago. On 9th August 2023 Thorbjornsen withdrew from the match due to a back injury, thus opening up another space in the line-up.
Nick DUNLAP (WAGR #9), who won the U.S. Amateur Championship earlier today, and Caleb SURRATT (WAGR #7) were added to the USA team by the ITS on 31st July 2023 having impressed with their strong play over the early summer period.
Summerhays was perhaps the surprise pick in the final wave as the ITS overlooked two higher WAGR ranked players, namely Cole Sherwood (12th) and Luke Clanton (14th). Summerhays’ stronger ‘USGA pedigree’ no doubt helped his case.
“These six players are outstanding additions to round out this year’s team,” said Mike McCoy, captain of the USA Team. “This group of players has earned the opportunity to be part of this team and I’m thrilled to see their hard work rewarded. I am beyond excited to have our full team set as we begin to prepare for the Old Course.”
Maxwell MOLDOVAN, 21, of Uniontown, Ohio and Neal SHIPLEY, 23, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania were also named as the USA’s non-travelling first and second alternates, respectively.
The USA Team will play Great Britain and Ireland in the 49th Walker Cup Match on 2-3 September 2023 at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland.
USA Team (Graphic: USGA)
Here are the USGA’s biographies (edited) of all of the USA team: –
Nick Dunlap, 19, of Huntsville, Alabama
– The 2023 U.S. Amateur champion.
– He joined Tiger Woods as the only players to have won the U.S. Junior Amateur (2021) and U.S. Amateur titles (2023).
– Dunlap has also won the 2023 Northeast Amateur and North & South Amateur titles.
– Match play record since winning the AJGA’s Polo Classic in 2021 is P32, W30, L2.
– He is a rising sophomore at the University of Alabama.
David Ford, 20, Peachtree Corners, Georgia
– Ford will join the small group of left-handed Walker Cup players.
– He claimed the 2022 Southern Amateur at Sea island G.C.
– He is a rising junior at the University of North Carolina.
– A member of the 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup team.
– Has twin brother, Maxwell, who is also an elite amateur golfer.
Nick Gabrelcik, 21, of Trinity, Florida
– Earlier this summer, he notched a victory at the Southern Amateur Championship at the Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee.
– He is a rising senior at the University of North Florida.
– In 2021, he earned the Phil Mickelson Award as the top freshman in college golf. He is a three-time USA Palmer Cup competitor and made the cut in the 2023 Valspar Championship on the PGA Tour, shooting a second-round 67.
Austin Greaser, 21, of Vandalia, Ohio
– Greaser was runner-up to James Piot in the 2021 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont C.C.
– He is a fifth-year senior at the University of North Carolina.
– Greaser won the 2022 Western Amateur Championship, defeating Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira in the finals.
Stewart Hagestad, 32, of Newport Beach, California
– A mid-amateur member of three winning USA Walker Cup Teams (2017, 2019, 2021).
– He has played in 26 USGA championships, including 13 U.S. Amateurs.
– He captured the 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Sankaty Head Golf Club, defeating Mark Costanza, 2 and 1. He also defeated Scott Harvey in 37 holes in the 2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship final, producing the largest comeback victory since the 36-hole final was introduced in 2001.
– Hagestad was the low amateur in the 2017 Masters Tournament, becoming the first invited Mid-Amateur champion to make the 36-hole cut.
Ben James, 19, of Milford, Connecticut
– James advanced to the quarterfinals of this week’s U.S. Amateur, falling in 19 holes to Parker Bell.
– He is coming off an accolade-filled freshman year at the University of Virginia, where he was named winner of the 2023 Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award, a First-Team Ping All-American, ACC Freshman of the Year and a finalist for both the Haskins and Jack Nicklaus Awards.
– He finished sixth at the NCAA Championships, set the UVA record with five first-place finishes and finished in the top six in 11 of 13 tournaments.
– James was also selected to the 2023 U.S. Palmer Cup Team.
Dylan Menante, 22, of Carlsbad, California
– Menante is a fifth year senior at the University of North Carolina.
– He was previously a member of the Pepperdine team that captured the 2021 NCAA Championship
– He has competed in five U.S. Amateurs (2018,
Gordon Sargent, 20, of Birmingham, Alabama
– Ranked #1 in WAGR and winner of the 2023 Mark McCormack Medal
– The low amateur at the 2023 U.S. Open Championship at Los Angeles C.C.
– Sargent is a rising junior at Vanderbilt University. He won the NCAA Division I Championship in 2022 as a freshman.
– Played in the USA’s World Amateur Team in 2022 (3rd place) and has already been selected for the 2023 team.
Preston Summerhays, 21, of Scottsdale, Arizona
– Summerhays won the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur.
– He won the 2020 Sunnehanna Amateur, becoming the youngest champion in tournament history.
– In 2022, Summerhays was named Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year after recording eight top 10s during his first year at Arizona State University.
Caleb Surratt, 19, of Indian Trail, North Carolina
– Runner-up to Dunlap at the 2023 Northeast Amateur.
– Caleb is a rising sophomore at the University of Tennessee.
– Runner-up in the the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur and winner of the 2021 Western Amateur.
Here are the current World Amateur Golf Rankings with the full USA team overlayed on it: –
WAGR Top 20 16th August 2023 Release (Graphic: WAGR)
ME.
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