2026 Walker Cup Preview

Saturday marks the beginning of the 51st playing of the Walker Cup, held this year at Lahinch Golf Club (Old Course) in County Clare, Ireland. With two days of match play on top at one of the island’s storied courses, the Fried Egg Golf staff previews everything you need to know for the weekend, from the players you should know to the holes to watch and more.

The Course

Old Tom Morris is credited with the original design in 1894. Charles Gibson completed a significant redesign in 1907. The club hired Alister MacKenzie in 1926 to overhaul the course; he left some of Old Tom’s holes in place, but moved the rest closer to the ocean. In 1999, Martin Hawtree rerouted four holes and added two new par 3s. He also rebuilt several tees, saying he intended to return the course to its original character conceived by MacKenzie.

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What’s at Stake

The Walker Cup has been contested since 1922, pitting amateurs from the United States against amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland. The American side leads the biennial series 40-9-1, and has won the last five matches. Great Britain and Ireland’s last victory came in 2015, when the Cup was held at Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s. This is the first time the contest has ever been held at Lahinch, which is often referred to as the “St. Andrews of Ireland.”

Format

Unlike the Ryder Cup, the Walker Cup does not play fourball matches. The teams will square off in foursomes (alternate shot) in the morning, and then singles in the afternoon on consecutive days. There are 26 points available, with the United States (as the defending champion) needing 13 points to retain. Great Britain and Ireland need 13.5 points to win the cup.

How to Watch

Strap in and enjoy some true early-morning coffee golf. The Golf Channel has coverage both days and will broadcast both sessions. The matches can also be streamed on Golf Channel app.

Saturday, September 5: Foursomes, 3:30-8 a.m. ET; Singles, 9 a.m-2 p.m. ET
Sunday, September 6: Foursomes, 3-7:30 am ET; Singles, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. ET

What to Expect

The United States will once again enter as the heavy favorites, as all 10 of their players are ranked in the top 25 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking. But on paper, it is the strongest GB&I team since 2017 with an average WAGR rating of 40.5. That’s hard to compete with the U.S. depth (average ranking 8.3), but GB&I’s two victories in the last 15 years have come on home soil, so perhaps a rainy week at Lahinch will play to their benefit.

Some of the recent matches have been closer than the final score indicated. The 2025 Walker Cup was razor-tight throughout the first three sessions, with the Americans clinging to a slim 8.5-7.5 lead going into singles. But the United States dominated from there, winning 8.5 to 1.5 to turn a tight match into a 17-11 blowout.

A similar result unfolded at the 2023 Walker Cup in St. Andrews. The United States trailed by a point going into the final singles session before winning, 7-3.

In 2019 at Hoylake, the United States trailed by a point before winning the final singles, 8-2. -Kevin Van Valkenburg

Players to Watch

United States

Youngins: America has two southpaw standouts making their Walker Cup debut — 17-year-old prodigy Miles Russell and 18-year-old incoming Tennessee freshman Tyler Watts. I'd love to see these two linked up at some point in team play, but early reports have Stewart Hagestad (making his sixth appearance) potentially drawing babysitting duty with Miles. Even with Miles’ standout play throughout the summer, Watts is actually the higher-ranked player on WAGR, winning the prestigious Northeast Amateur and posting top 10 finishes the rest of the summer. Watt’s tactical approach to the game should serve well in foursomes, while Russell’s excellent wedge play will also be a weapon in the variable links conditions at Lahinch.

Ryder Cowan: I quickly became a Ryder Cowan fan seeing him grind through a low-am battle with Jackson Koivun at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock. The Oklahoma standout also took down Russell in a tight Round of 64 battle at the U.S. Amateur at Merion. That, combined with his runner-up finish at the Trans-Miss Am this summer, solidified his spot on the team. I do feel a bit apprehensive after seeing a social clip of Cowan saying it was his first time swinging in a rain jacket earlier this week at Lahinch. Hope the grinder mentality shines through.

Jay Leng Jr.: Leng has had a red-hot summer: winning the Western Am, finishing second at the Northeast, and then fifth at the Southern. And who knows, he might've won the U.S. Amateur if it weren't for a questionable championship match lunch order, a ribeye steak in the middle of a 36-hole marathon. His homemade swing — very flat and a little wild — and his unique putting stroke might not be easy on the eye, but he’s shown this summer he is efficient in match play. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, which is essential in these matches. Hopefully he can continue his strong play, and captain Nathan Smith keeps him on the straight and narrow in the players' lounge.

Great Britain and Ireland

English Noles: The Florida State Seminoles will be well represented at this Walker Cup with two players and a future Seminole playing. Jack Whaley of England leads the way after his breakout win at at the U.S. Amateur, where he took down Leng Jr in the final. Whaley — who said he feels most comfortable in match play — could be part of a formidable pairing with teammate and countryman Tyler Weaver. Weaver is the strongest player on paper for the GB&I squad, but there’s a caveat: He hasn't teed it up in competition since April and has been nursing an oblique injury. Early reports suggest he’ll be ready to go this week. Just hope he's not having to carry the team on a bad back come Sunday.

Connor Graham: It’s not often you have the youngest player turn out to be one of the most experienced. Scotland’s Connor Graham — still only at 19 — is working on his third Walker Cup. He was the youngest player to ever compete in the matches back in 2023, when he was only 16. If we were to win all his matches this weekend, he’d draw even with Luke Donald for the third most points in GB&I history. While he’s not physically imposing, the scrappy Graham still packs some punch and has been a tough opponent in foursomes.

Stuart Grehan: The elder statesman and lone Irish player on the home side at 33 years old. Grehan has had an eventful summer, winning the Amateur Championship in June; he also advanced to match play at the South of Ireland, which takes place at Lahinch. Originally a candidate for the 2017 matches, Grehan missed out due to a broken forearm and a short stint in professional golf. (Questionable reinstated am alert!) He does have Walker Cup experience from last year at Cypress. I would personally love to see a mid-am showdown in afternoon singles play between him and Stew Hagestad. -Matthew Galloway

Three Holes to Watch

Klondyke, No. 4, par 5, 475 yards

This is a golf hole where, when you stand on the tee and look at the fairway, you think, "That's the fairway? Like, that cannot be the fairway." It's this tiny, tiny sliver of grass that winds through the dunes in a severe valley, maybe 20 yards wide.

You're teeing off as close as you can get to the water without being on the beach into this little valley, and then it runs out about 300-315 yards, with a massive hill between you and the green. If you push your drive too close to the hill and you're trying to hit a long iron, you might not have enough loft to get over it. What really sets Klondyke apart is the Hill Man, whose job it is to sit in a hut on the backside of the hill and wave a little flag to let you know that the green is clear and it’s your turn to play. If you hit your approach a little long, you're going to go over the brick wall right behind the green and onto a road (and maybe into someone's yard on the other side of the street). It’s truly a one-of-one golf hole and a real joy to play, but you’ve got to be careful.

Burke’s Corner, No. 9, par 4, 400 yards

The ninth is more inland and plays as a shorter par 4. An awesome diagonal ridge line cuts through the middle of the fairway, creating a two-tiered lower and upper fairway. The long, slender green is benched against the dune on the right and features plenty of fun pin positions.

It’s a super strategic hole because you want to hit your drive as far up the left side as you can, but that's also the same direction as the diagonal ridge, meaning you have to carry the ridge on the furthest side to reach the top tier of the fairway and have the best angle into the green. If you don’t reach that tier, you’ll wind up in a hollow to the left with still a good angle to the green, but it’ll be a completely blind shot. It’ll be interesting to see how players navigate the hole, but I’d assume most Walker Cuppers will have no problem getting to the top tier of the fairway and have a flip wedge to the green, but it’s more interesting for the everyday golfer.

Mine, No. 13, par 4, 334 yards

The 13th is a drivable hole that plays uphill to a perched-up, chaotic green site with hills and mounds, so going for the green and getting it to stay on the surface is no guarantee.

Approaching the green from short and left of the putting surface, depending on where the pin sits, could leave an almost impossible chip shot. You could very well see balls chipped up close to the pin and then roll all the way back to the player’s feet. It’s a really volatile hole in the middle of the back nine that’ll be fascinating in match play, and I think a few players will find some real trouble there. -Matt Rouches