US Amateur and Amateur champions Jack Whaley and Stuart Grehan have been selected for Great Britain and Ireland’s Walker Cup team to face the United States at Lahinch.

The 51st Walker Cup will be played in County Clare on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September, with GB&I seeking their first victory in the biennial match since 2015.

Six members of the side beaten 17-9 at Cypress Point last year return. Connor Graham will make his third successive appearance, while Eliot Baker, Luke Poulter, Niall Sheils Donegan and Tyler Weaver join Grehan in playing for a second consecutive match.

Whaley is one of four debutants alongside Ben Bolton, Sam Easterbrook and Josh Hill. Thomas Higgins and David Howard have been named as reserves.

GB&I Walker Cup team

• Eliot Baker, England, 23
• Ben Bolton, England, 19
• Sam Easterbrook, England, 21
• Connor Graham, Scotland, 19
• Stuart Grehan, Ireland, 33
• Josh Hill, England, 22
• Luke Poulter, England, 22
• Niall Sheils Donegan, Scotland, 21
• Tyler Weaver, England, 21
• Jack Whaley, England, 22

Dean Robertson will captain the team for a third time. The 56-year-old Scot led GB&I at Cypress Point and previously guided the side to victory over the Continent of Europe in the St Andrews Trophy in Madrid.

“It is a tremendous honour to captain Great Britain and Ireland again and I’m excited by the team we have selected for the match at Lahinch,”

“We have a really exciting blend of players who have experienced the Walker Cup before and others who have earned their first opportunity through some excellent performances over the last year. We have players who have won important championships, performed at the highest level in amateur golf and demonstrated that they can deliver results in international match play.”

Said Dean Robertson 

The top five eligible players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking were automatically selected, together with the Amateur champion and US Amateur champion. Robertson chose the remaining players to complete the ten-man side.

Whaley arrives after US Amateur victory

Whaley secured his place by winning the US Amateur at Merion on Sunday. The Florida State senior defeated Stanford University’s Jay Leng Jr 4&3 in the 36-hole final after surviving a play-off to reach the match-play stage.

He became the third English winner of the championship after Harold Hilton and Matt Fitzpatrick. The result also earned him exemptions into the 2027 US Open at Pebble Beach and The 155th Open at St Andrews, plus a likely invitation to the Masters Tournament.

Grehan booked his automatic place by winning The Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool in June. The Irishman recovered from three holes down before beating Matt Moloney by one hole in the 36-hole final.

The 33-year-old also has a strong record at the host venue. Grehan won the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch in 2015, the same year GB&I last lifted the Walker Cup.

Six players return from Cypress Point

Graham has the most Walker Cup experience in Robertson’s side. He became the youngest player to contest the match when he represented GB&I at St Andrews in 2023, aged 16, and has since qualified for The Open at Royal Portrush.

Baker won the individual title at the 2026 European Nations Cup with a 15-under-par total and finished runner-up in the Brabazon Trophy. Poulter claimed the NCAA Columbus Regional for his second collegiate victory, while Weaver won the Valspar Collegiate Invitational in a play-off.

Sheils Donegan returns after reaching the semi-finals of the 2025 US Amateur at The Olympic Club. He and Poulter were also members of the winning International team at the 2026 Arnold Palmer Cup.

Bolton tied for third in the Lytham Trophy and the individual standings at the European Nations Cup. Easterbrook reached the quarter-finals of The Amateur Championship, while Hill completed his University of Tennessee career with seven top-ten finishes and 18 top-25 results.

GB&I seek to end five-match losing run

The United States have won the past five Walker Cups and lead the overall series 40-9-1. GB&I’s most recent success was a 16½-9½ victory at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2015.

The teams were separated by three points at St Andrews in 2023, but the USA won by eight at Cypress Point last year after taking 8½ points from the ten Sunday singles.

Lahinch will host the Walker Cup for the first time. The two-day format comprises eight foursomes matches and 18 singles, with a limited number of tickets still available through The R&A.