Great Britain and Ireland face the United States in the 51st Walker Cup at Lahinch Golf Club, County Clare, starting on September 5.
A sell-out crowd is expected at the Irish links venue as the host team seeks to reclaim the trophy for the first time since 2015. Live coverage of the two-day amateur competition will be broadcast on Sky Sports.
The Walker Cup is a biennial match play event launched in 1922, featuring leading amateur golfers from Great Britain and Ireland against top talent from the United States. Across two days on September 5 and September 6, two 10-man teams will compete in 26 matches.
Great Britain and Ireland team lineup
Captain Dean Robertson leads a Great Britain and Ireland squad that includes six returning players from last year's roster. Amateur Champion Stuart Grehan returns alongside Tyler Weaver, the world No 2 amateur golfer.
Luke Poulter, the son of Ryder Cup player Ian Poulter, returns for his second Walker Cup appearance. The remaining returning squad members are Connor Graham, Eliot Baker, and Niall Sheils Donegan.
Four rookies complete the home roster: Ben Bolton, Sam Easterbrook, Josh Hill, and Jack Whaley. Whaley makes his tournament debut after becoming only the third Englishman in history to win the US Amateur last month, where he chipped in on the opening hole of his final match victory.
United States squad and top contenders
Captain Nathan Smith leads a stacked United States roster featuring seven of the top nine amateur players in the world rankings. The American team is headlined by Preston Stout, winner of the McCormack Medal.
Miles Russell enters as an automatic qualifier after competing in the US Open earlier this year with Charlie Woods, son of Tiger Woods, as his caddie. The 17-year-old amateur had his father caddie for him on the final hole at Shinnecock Hills.
Ethan Fang, winner of last year's Amateur Championship, is also included in the roster. The 10-man American team is completed by William Jennings, Josiah Gilbert, Ryder Cowan, Kihei Akina, Jay Leng, Stewart Hagestad, and Tyler Watts.
Lahinch venue and historical dominance
The 2026 contest takes place on the west coast of Ireland at Lahinch Golf Club, which is hosting the match for the first time. Known as the "St Andrews of Ireland", Lahinch previously hosted the 2019 Irish Open won by Jon Rahm and the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Recent Walker Cup editions took place at Seminole Golf Club in 2021, the Old Course at St Andrews in 2023, and Cypress Point in 2025. Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon will host in 2028, followed by Prince's Golf Club in Kent in 2030.
The United States has dominated the historical series, winning 40 of the 50 previous matches. The visitors are chasing a sixth consecutive victory after winning the 2025 contest at Cypress Point.
Great Britain and Ireland has won nine Walker Cups, with one match tied in 1965. The home side last won in 2015 at Royal Lytham & St Annes, securing a 16.5-9.5 victory against an American team that included Bryson DeChambeau.
Match format and scoring rules
The competition takes place across two sessions each day, offering a total of 26 points. Foursomes matches feature two golfers from Great Britain and Ireland playing against a pair from the United States, alternating shots with a single ball.
On Saturday, the event begins with a four-match morning foursomes session worth four points, followed by an eight-match afternoon singles session. On Sunday, another four-match foursomes session takes place in the morning, followed by 10 singles matches in the afternoon involving all 20 players.
Each match is worth one point. Great Britain and Ireland needs 13.5 points to secure victory, while the United States needs 13 points to retain the trophy.
Past stars of the Walker Cup
Many of golf's leading figures competed in the Walker Cup before launching Major-winning careers, including Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy represented Great Britain and Ireland in 2007 alongside 2016 Masters winner Danny Willett. They faced a United States lineup featuring Webb Simpson, Billy Horschel, Rickie Fowler, and Dustin Johnson.
The 2001 Great Britain and Ireland team that won on away soil featured current Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, former US Open champion Graeme McDowell, and Sky Sports Golf presenter Nick Dougherty.
In 1995, a Great Britain and Ireland team including three-time major winner Padraig Harrington and Sky Sports presenter David Howell defeated an American team featuring Tiger Woods. Phil Mickelson played in the 1991 match.
Justin Thomas and Max Homa played in 2013 against Matt Fitzpatrick, whose brother Alex Fitzpatrick played in the 2019 edition with Matt in attendance. Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, and Will Zalatoris featured in a record 19-7 US win in 2017.
Sky Sports broadcast schedule
Sky Sports will broadcast live coverage across Saturday September 5 and Sunday September 6 on Sky Sports Golf, Sky Sports Mix, and Sky Sports+.
Saturday coverage runs from 0830 to 1130 UK time on Sky Sports Golf and 0830 to 1300 on Sky Sports Mix for the morning foursomes. Afternoon singles will air from 1400 to 1900 on Sky Sports Mix and 1630 to 1900 on Sky Sports Golf.
Sunday coverage begins with morning foursomes from 0800 to 1100 on Sky Sports Golf and 0800 to 1230 on Sky Sports+. The final afternoon singles session airs from 1330 to 1900 on Sky Sports+ and 1600 to 1900 on Sky Sports Golf.
