10 things you need to know

The PGA Tour is off this week, and so is the LPGA. Same for LIV Golf. There is some good golf overseas headlined by Rory McIlroy at the Irish Open. But if you wanted something stateside, and with some up-and-coming stars, then we suggest you look toward the West Coast.

The 50th playing of the Walker Cup tees off on Saturday and Sunday from Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, Calif., one of the most famous (and highly ranked) courses in the world. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

Wait, what exactly is the Walker Cup?

It’s the men’s amateur version of the Ryder Cup or Solheim Cup, with one team from the United States taking on the top men’s amateurs from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, which comprise Team Great Britain & Ireland.

So it’s 12 players per team, like the Ryder Cup?

No! The Walker Cup has 10 players per side, plus a captain. This event, like the aforementioned others, is also played every other year alternating between the U.S. and Great Britain as hosts.

What’s the Walker Cup format?

Unlike the Ryder Cup or Solheim Cup, the Walker Cup is compressed to two days. Here’s the playing schedule for Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday, Sept. 6
11-11:45 a.m. ET — 4 foursomes matches (alternate shot)
4:45-5:55 p.m. ET — 8 singles matches

Sunday, Sept. 7
11-11:45 a.m. ET — 4 foursomes matches (alternate shot)
4:30-6 p.m. ET — 10 singles matches

How does someone win?

If you win your match, you get a point. If you and your opponent tie, each side gets a half point. The team that scores the most in the four sessions wins, and if there’s a (gasp!) tie, the trophy stays with the team that won the previous meeting, which in this case would be the U.S.

Sounds fun! How do I watch it?

You can watch it on Peacock and Golf Channel. Peacock will stream early action on Saturday and Sunday from 12:30-3:30 p.m. ET, and Golf Channel will take over the broadcast for the later sessions, 7-10 p.m. ET each day.

This golf course is good too, right?

Yes! While Pebble Beach Golf Links gets a lot of love because it’s public and hosts an annual PGA Tour stop (and majors), its neighbor, Cypress Point, is no slouch. Cypress Point was designed by Alister MacKenzie and ranks second on both GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the U.S. and Top 100 Courses in the World lists (with New Jersey’s Pine Valley edging it on both lists).

Famous holes?

Few courses offer the stunning views you can find at Cypress Point, and the most famous golf hole of all of them is the par-3 16th, which not only is a breathtaking scene but calls for a long carry over the ocean to a tight green surrounded by bunkers, rocks and water.

The tee shot into the par-3 16th at Cypress Point.

Getty Images

How do I get a tee time at Cypress Point?

You can’t. (Unless you’ve qualified for this Walker Cup.)

Which players should I know about?

A ton of the pro game’s top players have competed in the Walker Cup before they joined the Tour, and this year’s group of players feature eight of the top 10 in the Men’s World Amateur Golf Ranking and 14 players in the top 50 of the WAGR.

Headlining that list is American Jackson Koivun, a rising junior at Auburn who two years ago won the Haskins Award as the top collegiate male golfer. It was the first time a freshman won the award since Justin Thomas did so in 2012. Koivun even played in six pro events in 2025, missing the cut in only one (the U.S. Open) and finishing T11, T6 and T5 in his last three. He’s already earned his Tour card via the PGA Tour Accelerated Program.

A few others to mention on the U.S. side: Michael La Sasso (2025 NCAA individual champ), Mason Howell (2025 U.S. Amateur winner) and Ben James (No. 1 in PGA Tour University ranking).

For GB&I, one familiar name sticks out in Luke Poulter, the son of European Ryder Cup great Ian Poulter. Luke, as you can see above, has already had a great start to the week as practice rounds are underway.

Another popular name is Niall Shiels Donegan, who was a local favorite at The Olympic Club in California for the U.S. Amateur last month. Shiels Donegan made it all the way to the semifinals before he was eliminated.

Where are future Walker Cups?

Only at some of the best courses in the world. Although there will be no alternating years between this year’s event and the next, as beginning 2026 the Walker Cup will move to even years. It’s at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland next year, back on the West Coast at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in 2028, at Prince’s Golf Club in England in 2030 and then to Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania in 2032. Other future venues have also been announced: Chicago Golf Club (2036) and Pine Valley Golf Club (2044).

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