After Preston Stout sealed the United States’ fifth consecutive Walker Cup victory on the 17th hole at Cypress Point last September, everything became a blur for captain Nathan Smith. He faintly remembers cheering and hugging all of his players. Smith has played on two winning Walker Cup teams as a player (2009 and 2013), but to win it as a captain felt different.
“To be a Walker Cup captain is the biggest honor of my life,” Smith said. “The pressure for me was off the charts because it was that important to me. All credit to the players. They were an incredible group of guys and they really stepped up over the weekend.”
Now, the focus shifts to this year’s Walker Cup at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland. Smith remains captain of the American team, but it will be a little different this time. Not only will it be an away match in September for the Americans, but the biennial engagement with Great Britain and Ireland shifts to even years for the first time since 1940 to avoid conflict with the World Amateur Team Championships.
While this means less time for Smith and the USGA to evaluate players, Smith believes the short turnaround could be advantageous for both teams.
“Normally it’s a two-year cycle so a lot of the guys move on [to play professionally],” he said. “But both teams may have quite a few guys back to play again.”
Out of the 18 American players invited to the practice session that took place at famed Seminole Golf Club in December, seven were members of the 2025 team: McCormack Medal winner Jackson Koivun from Auburn; Ethan Fang and Stout from NCAA champion Oklahoma State; reigning NCAA individual champion Michael La Sasso from Mississippi; Jacob Modleski from Notre Dame; U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell; and three-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Stewart Hagestad.
As a captain, Smith says that familiarity is helpful.
“Last time I was trying to learn and get to know the guys,” he said. “I’ll still do that [by following] all of the summer majors, but it’s amazing because I already feel like I kind of have a good understanding of the guys, even some of the guys who didn’t make the team.”
While they ultimately didn’t make the 2025 team, Max Herendeen of Illinois, Bryan Lee of Virginia and 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Evan Beck were invited to the practice session for a second year in a row.
In total, 11 collegiate players received invitations, with Josiah Gilbert of Auburn, Lance Simpson of Tennessee, Cameron Tankersley of Mississippi and Jack Turner of Florida rounding out the list.
There were three junior golfer invitees in addition to Howell: top-ranked Miles Russell, fourth-ranked Luke Colton and 2025 Elite Amateur Golf Series winner Tyler Watts.
“I think a lot of those guys who missed out [on last year’s Walker Cup] will move into position. They’ve been moving up the ranks. Some guys may turn pro and others will slide into their spots. It will kind of become their time.”
Nathan Smith
The long-hitting 37-year-old Bobby Massa joined Hagestad and Beck as mid-amateur invitees.
Smith says every one of these players has a good chance to make the team.
“I think a lot of those guys who missed out [on last year’s Walker Cup] will move into position,” Smith said. “They’ve been moving up the ranks. Some guys may turn pro and others will slide into their spots. It will kind of become their time.”
It’s important to note that players not part of the practice squad aren’t eliminated from Walker Cup consideration. Stout wasn’t part of the practice session that met in 2024. He played himself onto the team with individual victories at the Big 12 Conference Championship and Northeast Amateur, as well as with other good results.
Howell also wasn’t invited to the 2024 practice session, instead claiming his spot on the team by winning the 2025 U.S. Amateur at the Olympic Club. The junior golfer wasn’t on many people’s radars for the Walker Cup team as he was No. 362 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking before the U.S. Amateur.
This year, the winner of the U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club will once again earn an automatic spot on the team if he is American.
Of course, it’s not just the short cycle that’s different for this year’s Walker Cup. More important, the match will be on Great Britain and Ireland soil. Since 1993 (17 matches), there have been only four road victories in the Walker Cup. The United States won in 2007 at Royal County Down, 2019 at Royal Liverpool and 2023 at St. Andrews. The GB&I team won in 2001 at Ocean Forest.
Smith knows how difficult it is to play away from home. While victorious at home as a player in 2009 and 2013, Smith’s one Walker Cup blemish came in 2011 at Royal Aberdeen, when the American team lost 14-12 despite having future PGA Tour players Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Harris English and Russell Henley.
“There’s a lot going on away from home,” Smith said. “It’s a big challenge for any Walker Cup team from the U.S. to go over there. There’s a time change, different conditions, you have to stay rested.”
As captain, it’s on Smith to prepare his players for those challenges.
“My job is to put them in situations to succeed,” Smith said. “Getting them fed. Getting them rested. Putting them with partners they feel comfortable with and putting them where they feel comfortable in the lineup.”
While Smith has never played Lahinch, some of the players have. Koivun and La Sasso were part of the victorious American Arnold Palmer Cup team in 2024 at the renowned County Clare links.
Despite how difficult it is to win away and regardless of who is on the team, Smith is once again looking forward to one of the greatest competitions in amateur golf.
“We’ll have a great team and hopefully we’ll be up for the challenge,” Smith said.
Top: Nathan Smith (second from left) calls captaining the U.S. Walker Cup team “the biggest honor of my life.”
MICHAEL REAVES, R&A VIA GETTY IMAGES