Updated Saturday, September 5, 2026, after the opening foursomes session.
The 51st Walker Cup, the biennial match between the best amateur golfers in the United States and Great Britain and Ireland, is being played this weekend at Lahinch Golf Club on the west coast of Ireland. It is the first time Lahinch has hosted. The U.S. arrives with five straight wins and a 40 to 9 and 1 lead in the all time series, but the home side came out swinging on Saturday morning.
| Dates | Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6, 2026 |
| Venue | Lahinch Golf Club, County Clare, Ireland (first Walker Cup at Lahinch) |
| Saturday TV | Golf Channel, 3:30 to 8 a.m. ET and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET |
| Sunday TV | Golf Channel, 3 to 7:30 a.m. ET and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET |
| Streaming | Peacock and the NBC Sports app, plus any live TV service carrying Golf Channel |
| Captains | Nathan Smith (USA), Dean Robertson (GB and I) |
| To win | USA needs 13 points to retain the cup; GB and I needs 13.5 to win it |
Saturday Morning Foursomes
Great Britain and Ireland took the opening session 2.5 to 1.5. Stuart Grehan, the 2026 Amateur champion, and Eliot Baker halved with Preston Stout and Ethan Fang after an American putt slid by on the 18th green. Niall Sheils Donegan and Josh Hill beat Ryder Cowan and Josiah Gilbert 4 and 3. The Americans’ lone full point came from teenagers Miles Russell and Tyler Watts, who went 3 up early on Luke Poulter and Sam Easterbrook, saw the lead disappear, then won 1 up when Easterbrook’s tying putt lipped out on the last. The wind, which had blown out of the southwest all week, switched during the session.
Eight singles matches follow Saturday afternoon. Sunday brings four more foursomes in the morning and all 10 players from each side in singles in the afternoon, followed by the closing ceremony.
How the Walker Cup Works
| Session | Format | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday morning | 4 foursomes (alternate shot) | 4 |
| Saturday afternoon | 8 singles | 8 |
| Sunday morning | 4 foursomes | 4 |
| Sunday afternoon | 10 singles (every player) | 10 |
Twenty six points are available. A win is worth one point and a match that is all square after 18 holes is halved, with no extra holes. The United States holds the cup after a 17 to 9 win at Cypress Point in 2025, so 13 points is enough for the Americans to keep it; Great Britain and Ireland needs 13.5. The match returned to even numbered years after 2025 to avoid clashing with the Eisenhower Trophy.
The Teams
United States: Kihei Akina, Ryder Cowan, Ethan Fang, Josiah Gilbert, Stewart Hagestad, Jay Leng Jr., Miles Russell, Preston Stout, Tyler Watts and 2026 U.S. Amateur champion Jack Whaley. Fang, Russell, Stout and Watts were the first four named in July.
Great Britain and Ireland: a veteran group with six players back from the 2025 team, led by 2026 Amateur champion Stuart Grehan, with Eliot Baker, Niall Sheils Donegan, Sam Easterbrook, Josh Hill and Luke Poulter among those in action Saturday morning.
The Bottom Line
Great Britain and Ireland leads 2.5 to 1.5 after the opening foursomes at Lahinch, with Saturday singles and a full Sunday still to play. Golf Channel has both days from before dawn on the East Coast through 2 p.m. ET, with Peacock streaming. The U.S. has won five straight and needs 13 of 26 points to keep the cup; the home side needs 13.5 for its first win since 2015.