The 50th edition of the Walker Cup is less than a year away, and those looking to earn a spot on the team have an excellent opportunity to impress captain Nathan Smith in December.
The U.S. Golf Association announced Monday that 16 players have been invited to a Walker Cup practice session next month in Florida. The golfers will attend a practice session from Dec. 14-16 at McArthur Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida, Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida, and The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Florida.
Smith, who will also captain the 2026 team at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland, won four U.S. Mid-Amateur (2003, 2009-10, 2012) and the inaugural 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball.
“The amateur golf talent in this country is impressive, and I’m thrilled to gather with this group for a practice session next month,” Smith said in a release. “We have a strong list of young men attending; a mixture of seasoned veterans as well as up-and-comers of the game. I’m excited to spend more time with this group.”
Highlighting the team is top-ranked amateur Luke Clanton, a junior at Florida State, as well as Jackson Koivun, a sophomore at Auburn who is the reigning consensus national Player of the Year. Also invited is four-time Walker Cup participant Stewart Hagestad and Ben James, a junior at Virginia who joins Hagestad as the only players invited to the session with Walker Cup experience.
The 16 players invited to the Walker Cup practice session are: Evan Beck, Parker Bell, Blades Brown, Luke Clanton, Ethan Fang, Stewart Hagestad, Max Herendeen, Ben James, Noah Kent, Jackson Koivun, Michael La Sasso, Bryan Lee, Tommy Morrison, Jase Summy, Brendan Valdes and Jackson Van Paris.
Being invited to the Walker Cup practice session does not guarantee a selection to the team. Players not invited will also be considered. Seven of the 16 players from the December 2022 Walker Cup practice session competed on the 2023 United States team, where it defeated Great Britain and Ireland, 14½-11½, at the Old Course at St. Andrews.
The 50th Walker Cup will be contested at Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, California, on Sept. 6-7, 2025. The Walker Cup is a two-day event with 18 singles matches and eight foursomes matches. The U.S. leads the overall series, 39-9-1, though its advantage is only 11-7 since 1989.
Each team is comprised of 10 players. The R&A selects members of the GB&I team.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Luke Clanton, Jackson Koivun highlight invitees to U.S. Walker Cup practice session in December
