Predicting the 10-man United States roster for the 2025 Walker Cup at Cypress Point
On Friday, the top three Americans in the World Amateur Golf Ranking secured their spots on the U.S. squad for the biennial competition between the top amateurs from the United States against their counterparts from Great Britain and Ireland. The full 10-man roster will be announced following the conclusion of the U.S. Amateur, set for Aug. 11-17 at Olympic Club in San Francisco.
That means the clock is ticking for golfers to play their way onto the team. With a majority of the major amateur events still on the calendar, there is plenty of time for those on the bubble and on the outside looking in to show captain Nathan Smith why they deserve a chance to wear the red, white and blue.
Here's a look at predictions for who will round out the 10-man U.S. Walker Cup team (WAGR ranking in parentheses).
On the team
Jackson Koivun (No. 1)
Ben James (No. 2)
Michael La Sasso (No. 3)
The trio earned their spots on the team thanks to their WAGR rankings Friday. James will be the only returning member on the U.S. team, having gone 1-2-0 at St. Andrews in 2023, helping the U.S. win at the home of golf. Koivun swept national Player of the Year honors in 2024 and maintained a high level of play this season for Auburn, and La Sasso won the NCAA individual title at Omni La Costa last month, putting an exclamation mark on a stellar junior season.
Locks
Tommy Morrison (No. 5)
Ethan Fang (No. 7)
Preston Stout (No. 8)
It's hard to see Morrison (OK, not really, he is 6-foot-9), Fang and Stout not making the team. All are proven match-play golfers, with Fang and Stout helping Oklahoma State take the NCAA Championship last month at Omni La Costa. Morrison made match play last summer at the U.S. Amateur, the Amateur Championship and won the European Amateur. Expect to see these three donning red, white and blue in September. Fang and Morrison also made match play at this week's Amateur Championship.
Mid-Am representative
Evan Beck (No. 18)
Beck, who won the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur, is almost guaranteed to get the mid-am spot on the team, barring a late run from Stewart Hagestad, who is 55th in WAGR.
On the bubble
Jase Summy (No. 9)
Jack Turner (No. 11)
Josiah Gilbert (No. 14)
Wells Williams (No. 17)
Jacob Modleski (No. 20)
Max Herendeen (No. 22)
Bryan Lee (No. 23)
With three more spots up for grabs, there's a good chance those names come from this list. Jase Summy could be considered a lock, but as far as WAGR points, he's closer to this group than he is Morrison, Fang and Stout, but he has a big advantage on the rest of the group, especially with a strong summer leading into the U.S. Amateur. As for the rest of the group, it's open season. Have a big summer, and Smith could have no choice but to select you for a spot on the team. Don't play well, and that door slams shut.
Outside chance
Connor Williams (No. 24)
Cameron Tankersley (No. 26)
Miles Russell (No. 28)
Lance Simpson (No. 30)
Ryder Cowan (No. 33)
The most intriguing name in this group is Russell, the 16-year-old junior phenom whose name has been floated around all year as a player who could be selected. He would become the youngest Walker Cup participant ever if Smith selected him. This spring, he won four of five junior starts, including the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. If his strong play continues, it may be worth selecting him. As for the others, if they could win an Elite Amateur Golf Series event this summer and make a run in the Western Amateur or U.S. Amateur, they may have a tee time at Cypress Point in September.
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