Tag: 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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

193. USGA Names Their 2040, 2048 and 2052 Host Venues

28th February 2026

The USGA has today announced that the National Golf Links of America, Cypress Point Club and Seminole Golf Club will respectively host the 2040, 2048 and 2052 Walker Cup matches.

This means that the USGA has now confirmed all of their Walker Cup home venues up until 2052.

The National Golf Links of America in New York was designed by C.B. MacDonald and opened in 1909. It hosted the inaugural Walker Cup match in 1920 and its 44th playing in 2013.2048 will see the Alister MacKenzie designed Cypress Point in California host its third Walker Cup after previously staging the contests in 1981 and 2025.

Seminole, designed by Donald Ross and opened for play in 1929, has been afforded its second match following the playing of the 2021 contest at the famed Florida course.ME.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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 53rd 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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

169. The Walker Cup 1922-2023 Centenary Edition Book Published

15th December 2023

‘The Walker Cup 1922-2023 ~ Golf’s Finest Contest’ by Gordon G. Simmonds has been published for The R&A by Grant Books Ltd.

‘The Walker Cup 1922-2023 ~ Golf’s Finest Contest’ Centenary Edition

This 3rd edition of the popular book, limited to 3,600 copies, represents a significant departure in format from the previous issues published in 2000 and 2004. Running to 384 pages it has been fully revised and an enlarged size has been adopted.

To celebrate the centenary match which took place at St. Andrews last September Simmonds has fully refreshed his history, including hundreds of extra photographs, new forwards from Peter McEvoy and Fred Ridley, up to date statistics and additional reports for the matches played between 2005 and 2023.

Whilst a large number of the books have already been subscribed for some copies are available for sale from Grant Books for £70.00.

Gordon G Simmonds 

ME.

Copyright © Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

168. Sir Michael Bonallack Has Died Aged 88

26th September 2023

Sir Michael Francis Bonallack, Kt, OBE, a past Walker Cup player, captain and administrator has died aged 88.

He was born in Chigwell, Essex, England on 31st December 1934 and died on 26th September 2023 in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland.

He represented Thorpe Hall G.C., near Southend-on-Sea in Essex, throughout his amateur career.

His list of playing achievements is unlikely to ever be matched again and he is in my opinion the best GB&I amateur golfer of all time.

He first came to prominence when he won the British Boys Championship in 1952, beating Alec Shepperson on the 37th hole of the final at Formby GC.

He went on to win the Amateur Championship five times; the last three being in successive years: –
1961 v. Jimmy Walker 6&4 at Turnberry
1965 v. Clive Clark 2&1 at Porthcawl
1968 v. Joe Carr 7&6 at Troon
1969 v. Bill Hyndman (USA) 3&2 at Hoylake
1970 v. Bill Hyndman (USA) 8&7 at Newcastle, County Down

He also won the English Amateur Championship five times (1962, ’63, ’65, ’67 and ’68) and the English Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship (Brabazon Trophy) four times (1964, ’68, ’69 (tied with Rodney Foster) and ’71).

Other notable victories came in the Lytham Trophy (1965T and ’72), Berkshire Trophy (1957, ’61, ’65, ’68, ’70, ’71T), St. George’s Grand Challenge Cup (1965, ’68, and ’81), H.R.H. Prince of Wales Challenge Cup (1967), Hampshire Hog (1957 and 1979) and the no longer contested Golf Illustrated Gold Vase (1961T, ’67T, ’68, ’69T, ’71 and ’75).

He represented GB&I in nine Walker Cup teams, two as playing Captain (in 1957, ’59, ’61, ’63, ’65, ’67, ’69,  ’71 and ’73). He played 25 individual games, more than any other GB&I player in the history of the match and is only beaten by Jay Sigel’s 33 on the USA side. His record reads won 8, lost 14 and halved 3. The highlight for Bonallack was contributing to the victorious side in 1971 where GB&I won the cup for the first time in 33 years. “I was playing captain that year when we won over the Old Course at St. Andrews, and it does not get, cannot get, any better than that,” he later recalled.

Bonallack also represented GB&I in six World Amateur Team Golf Championships, for the Eisenhower Trophy, the last three as playing Captain (1960, ’62, ’64, ’66, ’68, ’70 and ’72). In 1968 he tied for the Individual title with Vinny Giles from the USA. He also represented GB&I in biennial matches against The Rest of Europe between 1958-72.

Sir Michael represented England in the Home International Matches on 17 occasions (1957-72, ’74). He captained the team between 1962-1967. His record was played 131; won 79, halved 15 and lost 37.  He also played in the British Commonwealth Team in 1959, 1963, 1967 and 1971, captaining the team in 1971 and 1975 (non-playing).

He played in 13 Open Championships. His best finish coming in his first when he tied 11th at Muirfield. He didn’t win the Silver Medal that year but secured it in 1968 (Carnoustie – T21) and again in 1971 (Royal Birkdale – T22). He considered these results his main golfing disappointment, reflecting in later years: “I wish I had done better in The Open”.

Good friend Donald Steel, writing for Country Life in July 1983, upon Bonallack’s competitive retirement, described him as a “fierce competitor” before adding “I have never seen anyone hole more critical putts than he did or impose the same magical touch on a whole variety of wedge and bunker play.”

He married Angela Ward in 1958.  A celebrity couple of the day the announcement of their earlier engagement made the front page news of almost every daily newspaper. Angela played in six Curtis Cup teams during her own golfing career (1956, ’58, ’60, ’62, ’64 and ’66).

Michael’s younger sister Sally (Barber) was also a very accomplished player, representing GB&I in the Curtis Cup in 1962.

Michael Bonallack joined The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in 1960. Over these years he was Chairman of the Amateur Status Committee (1975-79) and of the Selection Committee (1975-79) and a Member of the Rules of Golf Committee (1979-83), the General Committee (1975-1978 and 1999-2000) and the Heritage Committee (2006-10).

At the Club’s Autumn Meeting in September 2013 he become the 16th Honorary Member of The Royal and Ancient. He had previously been made a Life Member in 1999. As such his portrait is displayed in the Big Room of The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse.

Sir Michael Bonallack’s R&A Portrait (Photo: British Golf Museum) 

After his stellar playing career Sir Michael moved smoothly into golf administration. He was appointed Secretary of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in 1983, succeeding Keith Mackenzie.

As Secretary of the R&A, Bonallack helped to guide the game into the 21st Century. “He has bridged the gap between the history and heritage and tradition of The Open Championship and golf in general as it moved into the commercial age globally and internationally and he’s done it with great taste and tact and really stands almost alone as someone who has handled that crossing.” said the late Mark McCormack, chairman of International Management Group.

He retired as Secretary in 1999 after 16 years and was immediately nominated for the captaincy of the club for the millennium 1999-2000 year. There were two themes that he sought to bring to the role during his term of office: “…maintaining behavioural standards and ensuring that amateur golf is not destroyed by over-commercialism and ridiculously large prizes”.

The Bonallack Trophy, a biennial amateur competition played between teams from Europe and Asia-Pacific, was first played in 1998. The competition named in honour of Sir Michael continues to grow in importance and has helped to raise the profile of the game, particularly in the Far East, Indian and Australasia areas.

Sir Michael held many important positions in the golfing world and over the years received numerous honours and awards. Most notably he was knighted in 1998 becoming the third ‘golfing knight’ after Sir Henry Cotton and Sir Bob Charles. Sir Nick Faldo subsequently joined this select group in 2009.

Lady Bonallack died on Friday 1st July 2022 at the age of 85. She had been in poor health for a few years and finally succumbed to the COVID-19 virus.

Clearly in poor health Sir Michael was a very welcome guest at the opening ceremony of the 49th Walker Cup match played earlier this month at St. Andrews.

Sir Michael’s was a life well lived and he leaves a legacy to the game that can only be matched by a handful of others.

ME.

Copyright ©Mark Eley. All rights reserved.