The 49th Walker Cup: a historic showdown at St Andrews
The renowned biennial match is poised to mark a century since it was first played at the home of golf and the excitement is palpable as the Great Britain and Ireland team prepares to challenge the United States of America.
The last victory for GB&I dates back to 2015 when they triumphed with a resounding 16½-9½ win at Royal Lytham & St Annes, and now, under the leadership of captain Stuart Wilson, they are geared up to replicate that triumph on the illustrious greens of the Old Course.
Stuart Wilson, GB&I captain, said: “We have selected ten players who we believe will give us the best chance of regaining the Walker Cup against the United States of America.
“This is their opportunity to perform on the biggest stage in amateur golf and have their name written alongside some of the greatest names in the history of the sport by winning the Walker Cup. There is arguably no more iconic venue in the world to achieve that feat than on the Old Course in St Andrews.
“We look forward to the challenge of winning the match next week and I know these players will give it their all to win back the trophy in front of a home crowd.”
Meet the ten amateur golfers ready for glory
The golfers who will take to the Old Course with unwavering determination are as follows:
- James Ashfield from Wales, Delamere Forest, aged 22.
- Jack Bigham from England, Harpenden, aged 19.
- Barclay Brown from England, Hallamshire, aged 22.
- John Gough from England, The Berkshire, aged 24.
- Connor Graham from Scotland, Blairgowrie, aged 16.
- Alex Maguire from Ireland, Laytown & Bettystown, aged 22.
- Matthew McClean from Ireland, Malone, aged 30.
- Liam Nolan from Ireland, Galway, aged 23.
- Mark Power from Ireland, Kilkenny, aged 23.
- Calum Scott from Scotland, Nairn, aged 20.
Secure Your Place
The Walker Cup returns to the Old Course, celebrating 100 years since it was first staged at the home of golf and rekindling memories of its last appearance there in 1975.
Defending champions, the USA, are determined to maintain their hold on the trophy following their victorious encounter at Seminole in 2021. However, the stage is set for GB&I to reclaim glory and etch their names into the storied history of the Walker Cup.
Tickets to the 49th Walker Cup are available for purchase at www.randa.org.
For adults, daily tickets are priced at £25, while an entire weekend of golf action can be enjoyed for just £35. To encourage children and young adults to attend the match, The R&A has continued its successful ‘Kids go Free’ initiative, granting free entry to children under 16 when accompanied by a paying adult. Young adults aged 16 to 24 can also get half-price youth tickets.
A Grand Welcome: The Opening Ceremony
Get ready for the 49th Walker Cup with the Opening Ceremony, a free-to-attend event hosted by Sports Broadcaster, Andrew Cotter.
The celebration will commence at 5pm on Friday, 1 September on the historic grounds of the Old Course at St Andrews. Join us in welcoming the teams as they prepare to embark on their historic golfing journey.