Great Britain and Ireland look to end the United States’ Walker Cup dominance and claim a famous victory on home soil this week, live on Sky Sports.
A sell-out crowd is expected at Lahinch Golf Club in County Clare, Ireland this weekend, where the hosts look to reclaim the prestigious trophy for the first time since 2015.
The two-day in event sees many of the world’s best amateur stars compete, with Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy all past participants before going onto Grand Slam-winning careers.
Rory McIlroy featured in the 2007 Walker Cup for Great Britain and Ireland
Which other big names have featured in the Walker Cup? Who is playing in this year’s contest? Will Great Britain and Ireland manage a famous win? Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 2026 edition…
What is the Walker Cup?
The Walker Cup is a match play event held biennially, where the leading amateur golfers from the United States play against Great Britain and Ireland.
This year’s edition from September 5-6 is the 51st in the event’s history since launching in 1922, with two 10-man teams competing across 26 matches over the two days.
Who plays for Great Britain and Ireland?
Jack Whaley makes his Walker Cup debut after becoming just the third Englishman in history to win the US Amateur last month, while Luke Poulter – son of Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter – returns for a second time.
Captain Dean Robertson has six members of the team that featured last year, including Amateur Champion Stuart Grehan, with Connor Graham, Poulter, Eliot Baker, Niall Sheils Donegan and world No 2 amateur Tyler Weaver the others to return.
Ben Bolton, Sam Easterbrook, Josh Hill and Whaley are the four rookies included.
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How strong are the United States?
The McCormack Medal winner Preston Stout headlines a stacked United States team, featuring seven of the world’s top nine in the amateur game.
Miles Russell – who qualified for the US Open earlier this year with Tiger Woods’ son Charlie as caddie – was among the automatic qualifiers, with last year’s Amateur Championship winner Ethan Fang also included.
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William Jennings, Josiah Gilbert, Ryder Cowan, Kihei Akina, Jay Leng, Stewart Hagestad and Tyler Watts are the others to feature in Nathan Smith’s 10-man roster.
Where does the Walker Cup take place?
The 2026 edition takes place on a renowned links venue on the west coast of Ireland, with Lahinch Golf Club hosting the match for the first time.
The iconic venue has been dubbed the “St Andrews of Ireland” and previously hosted the 2019 Irish Open, won by Jon Rahm, as well as the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Seminole Golf Club (2021), the Old Course at St Andrews (2023) and Cypress Point (2025) have all been recent Walker Cup venues, while Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon (2028) and Prince’s Golf Club in Kent (2030) will host the next two editions.
What is the format and how does scoring work?
There are two sessions of foursomes, each offering four points, before an eight-match session of singles on the Saturday and all 20 players featuring in singles on the final day.
Foursomes matches see two golfers from Great Britain and Ireland compete against a pair from the United States, with team members alternating between shots and each team using one ball.
Each match is worth one point, with 13.5 points across the weekend required for victory and 13 points needed for the United States to retain the trophy.
Why are the United States favourites?
The United States have dominated Great Britain and Ireland through the event’s history, winning 40 of the 50 previous matches, with the visitors chasing a sixth consecutive victory.
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Great Britain and Ireland last won the 2015 contest at Royal Lytham & St Annes, claiming a 16.5-9.5 victory over an American side containing Bryson DeChambeau. They have won nine Walker Cups, while the 1965 edition was tied.
Who has played in past Walker Cups?
The last Great Britain and Ireland team to win on away soil in 2001 contained current Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, former US Open champion Graeme McDowell and Sky Sports Golf presenter Nick Dougherty.
The United States’ 2007 line-up had Webb Simpson, Billy Horschel, Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson, where they faced a Great Britain and Ireland side featuring McIlroy and 2016 Masters winner Danny Willett.
Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington and Sky Sports’ David Howell were part of the 1995 GB&Ire side that beat Woods and the United States, while Phil Mickelson played in the 1991 edition.
Justin Thomas and Max Homa both featured in 2013 against Matt Fitzpatrick with Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Will Zalatoris all part of the record-breaking 19-7 win in 2017. Will some of this week’s line-ups go on and enjoy future PGA Tour success?
Matt Fitzpatrick watched his brother Alex Fitzpatrick play in the 2019 Walker Cup
How can I watch the Walker Cup on Sky Sports?
Sky Sports will show extended live coverage from Ireland, with two sessions a day on both Saturday September 5 and Sunday September 6 live on Sky Sports Golf, Sky Sports Mix or Sky Sports+.
Saturday September 5
Morning foursomes from 0830-1130 on Sky Sports Golf and 0830-1300 on Sky Sports Mix
Afternoon singles from 1400-1900 on Sky Sports Mix and 1630-1900 on Sky Sports Golf
Sunday September 6
Morning foursomes from 0800-1100 on Sky Sports Golf and 0800-1230 on Sky Sports+
Afternoon singles from 1330-1900 on Sky Sports+ and 1600-1900 on Sky Sports Golf
Who will win the Walker Cup? Watch throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Get latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract on NOW.