Walker Cup 2026: ‘It’s the Ryder Cup for amateurs’, says Ben Bolton

The Walker Cup is usually biennial, but has been brought forward from now to be played in years with an even number, to avoid a clash in fixtures with the Americans’ Eisenhower Trophy, which had been moved, due to the Olympic Games in 2028 in Los Angeles.

Unlike the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup, the Walker Cup is played not over three days – just two.

And it is also not 12 per team, it is only 10.

Four foursomes on Saturday morning followed by eight singles in the afternoon.

Then four more foursomes on Sunday morning, followed by 10 singles in the afternoon.

So 26 points up for grabs, unlike the 28 in the Ryder.

The USA are the holders so would need only 13 points to retain the trophy they have dominated.

In the 50 events staged since it was first contested on Long Island, close to New York, in 1922, the Americans have won 40 and the British only one, plus the tie at Baltimore in 1965.

It has only been played in Ireland twice before – at Portmarnock in 1997 when future multiple major winners Padraig Harrington and Phil Mickelson were on opposite sides.

Then at Royal County Down in 2001 – when Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Webb Simpson played for America and an 18-year-old Rory McIlroy was joined on the GB&I team by fellow future major winner Danny Willett.

But the USA won on each occasion.