One of the Most Special Golf Events Is About to Begin, and It Deserves More Love

The 2026 PGA Tour season came to an end last Sunday in Atlanta and we still have a few more weeks until the President’s Cup at Medinah. So you might be thinking to yourself that we’ve reached the point of the year where there isn’t any good golf to watch for a while.

Well, if you think that you’d be wrong because one of the most special events in the sport takes place this weekend, and it will be must-see TV for a number of reasons.

We’re talking, of course, about the Walker Cup. If you’re unfamiliar with this event then let me catch you up to speed on it and explain why it just absolutely rules.

What is the Walker Cup?

The Walker Cup is an event that is played every two years. It pits 10 of the best amateurs from the U.S. against 10 of the best amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland. Like the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, they play a mixture of two-on-two matches and singles matches.

The event dates all the way back to 1922 and is named after George Herbert Walker, who was the president of the USGA in 1920 and donated the trophy that still gets handed out to the winning team.

Each match is worth one point. If a match finishes tied, each team gets a half point and the team that gets a total of 13.5 points or more over the two days wins. The U.S. has won the last five Walker Cups dating back to 2017, which was played at Los Angeles Country Club.

What makes it so special?

The best thing about this event is the amateur aspect of it with 20 players squaring off for the love of the game and for the love of their countries. It’s just so pure and everything golf is about. Plus, they play the event at some of the coolest courses in the world that we don’t get to see a lot of, if at all, in professional golf.

It’s also a great chance to watch some of the top young players in the world who should become big stars in the sport once they get to the professional level. For proof of that look at this group of legends who have played in the Walker Cup: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson, just to name a few.

Where is this year’s Walker Cup?

This year’s Walker Cup is being played at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland. It’s a beautiful links course that was founded in 1892 and is commonly known as the St. Andrews of Ireland.

Lahinch Golf Club is as visually stunning as a golf course can be. | Oisin Keniry/Getty Images

Lahinch Golf Club is the second-ranked course in Ireland, which says a lot considering how many fantastic courses with rich history can be found in the country.

Just look at the conditions players might face this weekend:

THE WIND IS HOWLING AT LAHINCH!

Preston Stout, Ryder Cowan and Josiah Gilbert took driver on the 156-yard 11th during their Walker Cup practice round 🤯

We promise you’ll want to see Josiah’s second shot

Lahinch continues to show why this will be an all-time Walker Cup 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1Z2FoNprzt
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 3, 2026

Yup, sign us up for that.

Who is on Team USA?

This year’s U.S. team has a ton of star power up and down its roster. It’s led by Preston Stout, who is the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world and plays his college golf at Oklahoma State.

Miles Russell, the No. 5-ranked amateur in the world, might be the most recognizable name on the roster to fans. The 17-year-old from Jacksonville, Fla., qualified for the U.S. Open last June and then made the cut at Shinnecock and shared a special moment with his dad while walking up the 18th during Sunday’s final round.

🥹

Miles Russell's father, Joe, took over as caddie for his son's final walk up 18.

What a Father's Day gift! pic.twitter.com/7tfHKSrjyx
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 21, 2026

In total, Team USA has seven players currently in the top 10 of the world amateur rankings.

Here’s is Team USA’s full roster:

Name	Age	World Ranking
Kihei Akina	20	11
Ryder Cowan	20	6
Ethan Fang	21	9
Josiah Gilbert	20	7
Stewart Hagestad	35	25
William Jennings	20	4
Jay Leng Jr.	20	12
Miles Russell	17	5
Preston Stout	21	1
Tyler Watts	18	2

Who is on Team Great Britain and Ireland?

Team Great Britain and Ireland features a number of top players in the world, including Jack Whaley, who beat Team USA’s Jay Leng Jr. in the finals of the 2026 U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club.

Tyler Weaver, the No. 3 amateur in the world, and Luke Poulter, the son of Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter are also on the squad.

Here’s the full roster:

Name	Age	World Ranking
Eliot Baker	23	13
Ben Bolton	19	86
Sam Easterbrook	21	76
Connor Graham	19	26
Stuart Grehan	33	28
Josh Hill	22	93
Luke Poulter	22	8
Niall Sheils Donegan	21	18
Tyler Weaver	21	3
Jack Whaley	22	45

2026 Walker Cup schedule and how to watch

The Walker Cup will be played this Saturday and Sunday with group matches each morning and singles matches in the afternoon.

Saturday, Sept. 5

Golf Channel: 3:30-8 a.m ET (for foursomes matches), 9 a.m.-2 p.m. ET (eight singles matches)

Sunday, Sept. 6

Golf Channel: 3-7:30 a.m. ET (four foursomes matches); 8:30-2 p.m. (nine singles matches)

If you love golf, then do yourself a favor and fire up the Walker Cup on your TV this weekend. You won’t be disappointed.

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