2026 Walker Cup: 20 enjoyable info in regards to the 20 U.S. and GB&I golfers set to play at Lahinch | Golf Information and Tour Information

Thanks to a quirk of scheduling, 9 of the 20 rivals on this week’s Walker Cup at Lahinch are again from taking part in a 12 months in the past at Cypress Point; the USGA and R&A purposedly moved up the 51st version 12 months to return the biennial matches to even-numbered years whereas the Ryder Cup is performed in odd years.

With a number of “veterans” on every squad, the names you’ll see over the weekend in Ireland are more likely to sound extra acquainted to golf followers who’ve paid consideration to the premier newbie occasion. Seven of the top-10 ranked amateurs on this planet are competing for the United States whereas two are representing Great Britain & Ireland this week.

For those that are catching up on the newbie recreation with Lahinch drawing your consideration because the host course, we’ll get you prepped for the large occasion right here by posting 20 info on the 20 gamers.

Alpine, Utah
Age: 20
WAGR: 11
Walker Cup Record: Debut
Fun Fact: Akina earned nationwide freshman of the 12 months honors in 2025-25, after claiming two wins and ending T-8 on the NCAA Championship at BYU. Also made the reduce in two PGA Tour occasions in 2026, together with T-16 exhibiting on the Puerto Rico Open.

Edmond, Okla.
Age: 20
WAGR: 6
Walker Cup Record: Debut
Fun Fact: Shared low-amateur honors on the U.S. Open in June then knocked off future Walker Cup teammate Miles Russell within the first spherical of the U.S. Amateur in August, finally falling within the third spherical.

Plano, Texas
Age: 21
WAGR: 9
Walker Cup Record: 0-2 (foursomes), 1-0-1 (singles)
Fun Fact: Fang, the primary American to win the British Amateur in 18 years when he claimed the title in 2025, performed on Team USA in Walker Cup and the World Amateur Team Championship a 12 months in the past.

Millbrook, Ala.
Age: 20
WAGR: 7
Walker Cup Record: Debut
Fun Fact: Gilbert was a little bit of an unsung hero as Auburn received its second NCAA crew title in three years this spring, ending because the low Tiger at each the NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championship. In match play at nationals, beat future Walker Cup teammates Jay Leng, Jr. (Stanford) within the quarterfinals and Ethan Fang (Oklahoma State) within the semifinals.

Newport Beach, Calif.
Age: 35
WAGR: 25
Walker Cup Record: 1-5 (foursomes), 7-1 (singles)
Fun Fact: This is Hagestad’s sixth Walker Cup look, serving to the U.S. win all 5 earlier occasions. If Team USA wins once more, Hagestad will path solely Jay Sigel (11) in taking part in for essentially the most victorious groups in Walker Cup historical past.

Greenville, S.C.
Age: 20
WAGR: 4
Walker Cup Record: Debut
Fun Fact: The rising junior at Alabama (who stands a rising 6-foot-6) had 5 top-five finishes for the Crimson Tide in 2025-26, together with a runner-up on the NCAA Championship.

San Diego
Age: 20
WAGR: 12
Walker Cup Record: Debut
Fun Fact: Leng has had arguably the perfect summer time of any newbie golfer, successful the Western Amateur and ending runner-up on the U.S. Amateur along with a T-5 on the Southern Amateur.

Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
Age: 17
WAGR: 5
Walker Cup Record: Debut
Fun Fact: The U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up is the youngest member of the American crew and simply the second excessive schooler ever to play for the American aspect.

Richardson, Texas
Age: 21
WAGR: 1
Walker Cup Record: 0-2 (foursomes), 2-0 (singles)
Fun Fact: With Jackson Koivun turning professional, Stout, winner of the 2026 NCAA particular person title and a 2025 Walker Cupper, took over as No. 1 within the World Amateur Golf Ranking and earned the Mark H. McCormack Medal because the top-ranked newbie on the finish of the summer time.

Huntsville, Ala.
Age: 18
WAGR: 2
Walker Cup Record: Debut
Fun Fact: Watts, an incoming freshman at Tennessee, turned the youngest champion within the historical past of the Northeast Amateur when he received by 5 strokes in June.

England
Age: 23
WAGR: 13
Walker Cup Record: 1-3
Fun Fact: The returning participant from GB&I’s 2025 squad is on a little bit of a run, having made match play on the U.S. Amateur, ending runner-up on the England Open and ending and fifteenth (low am) in his first DP World Tour begin (Nexo Championship in Scotland.

England
Age: 19
WAGR: 86
Walker Cup Record: Debut
Fun Fact: Before making match play on the British Amateur this summer time and ending a T-13 on the European Amateur, Bolton notable reached the quarterfinals of the 2025 U.S. Junior at Trinity Forest.

England
Age: 21
WAGR: 76
Walker Cup Record: Debut
Fun Fact: A rising senior at Purdue, Easterbrook is the primary Boilermaker to play within the Walker Cup in 43 years.

Scotland
Age: 19
WAGR: 26
Walker Cup Record: 3-3-1
Fun Fact: In 2023, Graham turned youngest participant in Walker Cup historical past. This is the rising junior at Texas Tech’s third look within the matches, after twice taking part in for the victorious International crew in school golf’s Palmer Cup.

Ireland
Age: 33
WAGR: 28
Walker Cup Record: 1-2-1
Fun Fact: The former mini-tour professional’s exceptional return to newbie golf included taking part in within the 2025 Walker Cup after lacking out on the crew in 2017 with a damaged arm. It continued this summer time when the lone Irishman on this 12 months’s GB&I squad received the British Amateur, the primary time a mid-amateur claimed the title since 2004. Grehan says he’s performed Lahinch between 30 and 40 occasions.

England
Age: 22
WAGR: 93
Walker Cup Record: Debut
Fun Fact: Hill, who closed out his school profession at Tennessee within the spring, was the youngest participant to win a match providing Official World Golf Ranking factors with a victory on the 2019 Al Ain Open on the MENA Tour at 15.

England
Age: 22
WAGR: 8
Walker Cup Record: 2-2
Fun Fact: The son of legendary Ryder Cupper Ian, Poulter went 2-2 at Cypress Point final September for the GB&I crew. He’s two-time winner in three seasons at Florida who shot par or higher in eight of 10 begins in 2025-26.

Scotland
Age: 21
WAGR: 18
Walker Cup Record: 2-1
Fun Fact: After a breakout summer time in 2025 that included a semifinal look on the U.S. Amateur and a 2-1 exhibiting on the Walker Cup, the Scot transferred from Northwestern to North Carolina and led the crew with a 69.91 common, fourth finest in class historical past.

England
Age: 21
WAGR: 3
Walker Cup Record: 1-3
Fun Fact: The highest ranked participant on the GB&I squad hasn’t performed because the ACC Championship in April after a breakout junior season at Florida State on account of again points, hoping the remaining will give him the perfect likelihood at success at Lahinch.

England
Age: 22
WAGR: 45
Walker Cup Record: Debut
Fun Fact: The Florida State undergrad was a longshot to make the GB&I squad till his magical week at Merion Golf Club final month, the place he marched to victory on the U.S. Amateur, turning into simply the third Englishman to win the Havemeyer Trophy.