Oklahoma's Quade Cummins was 'in shock' over Walker Cup selection

When Oklahoma senior Quade Cummins learned he was the first Sooner in 16 years to make the Walker Cup team, he actually had to tap the brakes emotionally.

He said shortly after OU finished a disappointing third at the Seminole Intercollegiate in Tallahassee, FL, in mid-February, he learned he had missed a call from USGA president Stu Francis.

“I called him back when I was finished signing my scorecard and stuff like that,” Cummins said during a video press conference Tuesday. “He said, ‘Congratulations, you're going to represent the United States at the Walker Cup.’ Immediately I was in shock.

“I wasn't with the coaches yet. They were still back on 18, helping the guys come in. I kept it kind of a secret until we're walking back to the car and I told coach (Ryan Hybl), ‘Hey, can I talk to you for a second?’ And I let him know then.”

Being able to balance his emotions in that scenario — just learning that you’ve made Team USA and will represent the United States in the most prestigious international amateur golf event in the world while you and everyone around you are still smoldering over a defeat — is one of the qualities that makes Cummins so good at managing the game itself on his way to first-team All-American honors last season.

“When he decided to come back to Oklahoma for another year, one of his goals wasn't just to try and help our golf team win a national championship,” Hybl said in a story published by SoonerSports.com, “but also to solidify his amateur career and get a spot on the Walker Cup team. He's been able to make his mark in both amateur golf, and our golf program here at Oklahoma and I couldn't be prouder.”

The Walker Cup is the amateur version of the Ryder Cup. Held every other year, the 2021 event is set for May 8-9 at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, FL. The top 10 U.S. amateurs will go head-to-head against their counterparts from Great Britain and Ireland.

QUADE CUMMINS OU BIO

Cummins, a fifth-year senior from Weatherford, OK, is the fourth Sooner to ever be selected for the team, and the first since Anthony Kim in 2005. Hunter Haas and Charlie Coe also represented OU and Team USA.

Cummins has international experience having played in the Palmer Cup. He said he and Hybl “kinda hugged it out” in Tallahassee “because (Hybl) was a great amateur as well” and, Cummins said, intends to compete on that stage again.

Representing one’s country isn’t quite like playing for your dear old alma mater.

“Yeah, it feels different,” Cummins said, “because you watch the Ryder Cup, you watch the President's Cup and you see the best players in the world kind of join up. It's very cool to see stuff like that. And then being able to feel it for yourself, it feels amazing when it happens. We didn't win in the Palmer Cups that I played in, so I'm sure it'd feel that much better if you were able to win.

“It's a very hard team to make and it felt amazing,” Cummins said. “Austin Eckroat (also an Oklahoma native and a second-team All-American at Oklahoma State) was there at the tournament with me. We kinda always text when we get those kind of text messages and phone calls. He was probably the first one I texted. I was like, ‘Hey, did you get the call?’ Because he was ranked higher than me, so I wasn’t really expecting him to say no.

“We saw each other at the airport and gave each other high-fives and stuff and started talking about when are we going to go out there and play practice rounds, stuff like that.”

Cummins said ht probably won’t sink in until after the event has finished. The U.S. is 37-9-1 all-time in Walker Cup play and will be prohibitive favorites to win it again.

“I’ve heard stories of the last Walker Cup,” Cummins said. “From the stories … it's an unforgettable experience, and I haven't experienced it yet. So I think once the Walker Cup's over, I'll be able to get a more clear picture and really be able to look back on that week-long experience and I'll be able to look at that for the rest of my life.”

First up, of course, the Sooners have four tournaments left on the schedule, starting Monday and Tuesday at the University of Texas, followed by the postseason. The Big 12 Championship is April 26-28 in Hutchinson, KS, the NCAA Regionals are May 15-18, and the NCAA Championships are May 28-June 2 in Scottsdale, AZ.

Having played on OU’s 2017 national championship team, Cummins said the goal for the Sooners in 2021 is the same as it was four years ago: another national title.

“I think there’s only been one goal since I came in as a freshman,” he said. “Being on that national championship team in 2017, it kind of gave us the taste of the good stuff.

“When you’re able to win a national championship, not very many people can say that. … I think when you come to OU you only talk about championships.”