Jack Whaley has been selected in the Great Britain and Ireland team to face the USA in the 2026 Walker Cup at Lahinch Golf Club.
The 22-year-old Englishman forms part of a 10-strong squad alongside Luke Poulter, the son of former European Ryder Cup player Ian Poulter. His inclusion follows his victory at the US Amateur Championship on Sunday.
Whaley is one of four debutants in captain Dean Robertson's side, alongside Ben Bolton, Sam Easterbrook, and Josh Hill. Six players return from the 2025 team that played at Cypress Point in California: Poulter, Stuart Grehan, Eliot Baker, Niall Sheils Donegan, Tyler Weaver, and Connor Graham, who makes his third consecutive Walker Cup appearance.
Irish golfers Thomas Higgins and David Howard have been named as first and second reserve, respectively, for the 51st edition of the international contest.
Historic victory for debutant Whaley
Whaley, who was born in Doncaster and plays out of Rotherham Golf Club, earned his spot after defeating American Jay Leng Jr in a gruelling 36-hole final. He sensationally chipped in during the match on his way to lifting the trophy.
The win made Whaley only the third English golfer in history to win the US Amateur Championship. He joins Harold Hilton, who won the title in 1911, and 2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who won in 2013 and is currently the world number four.
The US Amateur is the oldest and most prestigious amateur golf tournament in the United States, organised annually by the United States Golf Association.
Captain Robertson on team selection
Great Britain and Ireland captain Dean Robertson admitted that Whaley was not originally in his plans before his victory in the United States. "Before last week, I wouldn't have seen Jack in the team," Robertson said. "But after watching him, the talent he's got and the humility that he's got, the way that he spoke, I'm really excited to welcome him."
Robertson acknowledged that Whaley's late surge meant Thomas Higgins narrowly missed out on a place in the main team. "The only downside of that is that if it wasn't for Jack, Tom Higgins would have been in the team, 100 per cent," he said.
Robertson, who returns as captain for another attempt to defeat the American team, praised the composition of the 10-man squad. "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," Robertson said.
"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," Robertson added. "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."
Walker Cup history and schedule
The Walker Cup is a biennial amateur team competition contested between Great Britain and Ireland and the United States, played over two days with 18 singles matches and eight foursomes matches. The USA leads the overall series 40-9-1.
Great Britain and Ireland are seeking to defeat the USA for the first time since 2015, when they secured a 16½-9½ victory at Royal Lytham and St Annes in Lancashire. The 2026 match takes place on September 5-6 at Lahinch Golf Club, a historic links venue located in County Clare, Ireland.
The full Great Britain and Ireland team selected for the match is:
- Eliot Baker (England, Tiverton, age 23)
- Ben Bolton (England, Enville, age 19)
- Sam Easterbrook (England, Olton, age 21)
- Connor Graham (Scotland, Blairgowrie, age 19)
- Stuart Grehan (Ireland, County Louth, age 33)
- Josh Hill (England, Fox Den, age 22)
- Luke Poulter (England, Woburn, age 22)
- Niall Sheils Donegan (Scotland, Meadow Club, age 21)
- Tyler Weaver (England, Bury St Edmunds, age 21)
- Jack Whaley (England, Rotherham, age 22)
Thomas Higgins (Ireland, Roscommon, age 23) is first reserve, while David Howard (Ireland, Fota Island, age 27) is second reserve.
Sky Sports Golf will broadcast both days of the tournament live, with coverage of day one starting at 8:30am on Saturday, September 5. The match can also be streamed live on NOW without a contract.
