Changes to the PGA Tour University program and an influx of fresh American talent in the amateur game could combine to create an unusually young U.S. Walker Cup team.
Captain Mike McCoy figures to have an embarrassment of star power heading to St. Andrews this September. With seven months remaining until the match, 12 of the top 13 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking are American, and several of those figuring to travel to Scotland are well short of their 21st birthday.
The scene is reminiscent of 2011 when the Americans similarly dominated the WAGR behind the likes of teenagers Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Rodgers. But that team, which went on to lose to GB&I, had three notable college seniors on it with Harris English, Russell Henley and Kelly Kraft.
It’s possible that the 2023 team may not have a single college senior.
Vanderbilt sophomore Gordon Sargent (No. 3 in the WAGR), North Carolina sophomore David Ford (No. 6) and Tennessee freshman Caleb Surratt (No. 11) are heavily favored to be on the 10-man roster. The same could be said for a trio of college juniors in Stanford’s Michael Thorbjornsen (No. 2), Vanderbilt’s Cole Sherwood (No. 9) and North Florida’s Nick Gabrelcik (No. 12).
Also among the 16 players who participated in the Walker Cup practice session last month were Wake Forest junior Michael Brennan (No. 18), Virginia freshman Ben James (No. 20), Ohio State junior Maxwell Moldovan (No. 27) and Tennessee junior Bryce Lewis (No. 28).
Our current projections show the American side will be one of the youngest in history. If the match were to start today, the team would look something like this:
Michael Brennan, Wake Forest junior
David Ford, North Carolina sophomore
Nick Gabrelcik, North Florida junior
Stewart Hagestad, mid-amateur
Ben James, Virginia freshman
Dylan Menante, North Carolina senior
Gordan Sargent, Vanderbilt sophomore
Cole Sherwood, Vanderbilt junior
Caleb Surratt, Tennessee freshman
Michael Thorbjornsen, Stanford junior
This situation happened for a few reasons. It’s undeniable that we are in a tremendous age of American amateur talent, something that hasn’t always been the case. For example, there were just three U.S. players in the top 15 of the WAGR seven months ahead of the 2015 Walker Cup. There have been similar stretches during which international players collectively dominated the top of the amateur rankings.
However, it’s impossible to look past the impact that LIV Golf and PGA Tour University will have on the Walker Cup given that some of the top American seniors are looking to start their professional careers right after the NCAA Championship. Sam Bennett (No. 4) of Texas A&M, Austin Greaser (No. 5) of North Carolina and Travis Vick (No. 7) of Texas were three of the seniors who did not attend the Walker Cup practice session because of their professional aspirations. None of them has played in a Walker Cup.
In the 2019 Walker Cup – which was the last time the event was played in its traditional September date – seniors Alex Smalley, Brandon Wu, Isaiah Salinda and Steven Fisk finished their senior seasons and remained amateur throughout the summer so they could play in the Walker Cup. That decision to delay professional golf has often been assumed.
There always have been instances of players leaving college early – such as Collin Morikawa turning pro before the 2019 match – but many times the player already has competed in a Walker Cup, as Morikawa had in 2017. And clearly, he was a special case.
But with the amateur and professional game evolving quickly, that decision has changed.
PGA Tour University, which continues to offer better benefits in an effort to protect the college pipeline and fend off LIV Golf, is successfully securing more college seniors. Coaches are reporting that players are more likely to stay in school through their senior year to take advantage of the benefits, which include more direct access to the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamérica. Several players have also referenced that name, image and likeness (NIL) money coming into their pockets during college has made it slightly less tempting to turn professional early. While the money is limited, it’s still an influencing factor.
And it also should be noted that college programs are increasingly more valuable in terms of development and access to world-class facilities. As an example, Vanderbilt is putting $11 million into facility upgrades for its golf programs. This is the norm now for top-tier college golf. There is so much incentive for kids to hone their skills while also being able to prepare for PGA Tour University, which is mainly a program just for seniors.
We are going to see more college seniors. At the same time, they collectively appear eager to turn professional as soon as their diploma hits their hand.
While it’s disappointing in some respects, there is a positive side to it. Now we get to see younger players introduce themselves in the biggest amateur event of them all. That could create more context and connection earlier in their careers.
For the young American amateurs, it appears that opportunity is about seven months away.
E-MAIL SEAN
Top: Gordon Sargent, a sophomore at Vanderbilt, is ranked No. 3 in the WAGR.
Kathryn Riley, USGA