There’s a fun story from the 2007 Walker Cup at Royal County Down in which Rory McIlroy and Billy Horschel, both not yet 21, faced off in three of four matches.
During one of the foursomes sessions, Horschel hit a bunker shot and sprinted toward the hole to see if it would drop in, yelling “Go in! Go in!” the entire way. McIlroy didn’t care for the antics, and a day later he opened their singles match with an eagle and unleashed a thunderous yell.
“Ohh, I absolutely despised him,” McIlroy said on GOLF’s Subpar a couple of years ago. “We’ve actually become really close since, which is great. We were all probably obnoxious at the time, but because I was at home as well and he was like pretty rude to the crowd at times too and they are my people. It was like, ‘I’m going to beat his ass.’ But we actually have forged a really good friendship since. Billy’s a good dude. I like him a lot.”
OK, so what’s the point of revisiting this moment in time? It’s just a reminder that while the Walker Cup is a highly competitive and entertaining amateur event, it’s also a chance to watch and get to know a handful of guys who might very likely play in the pro ranks and on your TV screens someday.
“>
The U.S team takes on Great Britain and Ireland in the 2025 Walker Cup this weekend at Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, Calif., and the streaming and TV schedule is the same for both Saturday and Sunday. You can stream from 12:30-3:30 p.m. ET on Peacock and tune in to the broadcast from 7-10 p.m. ET on Golf Channel.
You can learn more about the 20 Walker Cup players below. (Their standing in the Men’s World Amateur Golf Ranking is in parenthesis.)
Team USA
Jackson Koivun (No. 1) — Won the Haskins Award as the top collegiate male golfer two years ago, the first time a freshman has won since Justin Thomas in 2012. He played in six pro events in 2025 and finished T11, T6 and T5 in his last three. He already earned his PGA Tour card via the PGA Tour Accelerated Program.
Ben James (No. 2) — A three-time First-Team All-American at Virginia, he won the Phil Mickelson Award (top freshman) in 2023.
Ethan Fang (No. 3) — Back in June he became the first American in 18 years to win the British Amateur. Also helped Oklahoma State win the 2025 NCAA Division I title.
Jase Summy (No. 4) — Won the Western Amateur title over the summer.
Preston Stout (No. 5) — 2025 U.S. Amateur medalist and won the 2025 Northeast Amateur at Wannamoisett Country Club by eight shots.
Tommy Morrison (No. 6) — Last year he became the first American to win the European Amateur and in 2023 he teamed up with Tony Romo at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball.
Michael LaSasso (No. 9) — Won the NCAA Division I individual title in May.
Jacob Modleski (No. 13) — The rising junior at Notre Dame has reached the U.S. Amateur quarterfinals in each of the last two years.
Stewart Hagestad (No. 44) — The oldest member of the team (34), Hagestad makes his fifth Walker Cup appearance. He’s won three U.S. Mid-Amateur titles and played in five U.S. Opens.
Mason Howell (No. 143) — Howell, 18, won the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club last month to become the third-youngest champion in the event’s history.
Team GB&I
Tyler Weaver (No. 10) — The highest-ranked player on the team, Weaver, a 20-year-old at Florida State, was named ACC Freshman of the Year in 2024.
Cameron Adam (No. 17) — Won the St. Andrews Links Trophy in June to qualify for the Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
Ian Poulter won’t pose problem for U.S. Walker Cup team. But his son might
By:
Alan Bastable
Luke Poulter (No. 27) — The son of European Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter, Luke, who plays for the University of Florida, won his first NCAA event in March.
Dominic Clemons (No. 35) — Qualified for the 2024 Open Championship and played in the 2025 Rocket Classic.
Connor Graham (No. 42) — Two years ago, at 16, he became the youngest player to ever compete in a Walker Cup. Qualified for the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush.
Charlie Forster (No. 52) — Picked up two NCAA wins in the last year.
Niall Shiels Donegan (No. 63) — Advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur last month and was a fan favorite among the locals following his move from Scotland to California several years ago.
Eliot Baker (No. 104) — Has four WAGR wins in the last year, including taking the Scottish Men’s Open Amateur by seven.
Stuart Grehan (No. 149) — The oldest player on his team, the 32-year-old Grehan finally makes his Walker Cup debut.
Gavin Tiernan (No. 465) — Back in June he nearly became the first player to advance through pre-qualifying to win The Amateur Championship. Was ranked 3,645th a year ago but has since climbed into the top 500.
