By Sean Martin
Sixteen players have been invited by the U.S. Golf Association to attend a practice session for the 2011 Walker Cup. Steve Smyers, chair of the USGA’s International Team Selection Committee, shared the list of invitees with Golfweek: |
| • Blayne Barber, Auburn sophomore (No. 20 inGolfweek/amateurgolf.com U.S. Rankings): Round of 32, U.S. Amateur; Sweet 16, Western Amateur; 3rd, Southern Amateur; T-4 Players Amateur; 3rd, Jones Cup; Won, UNCG Bridgestone Golf Collegiate; No. 20 in Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings |
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| • Patrick Cantlay, UCLA freshman (11): Semifinalist, U.S. Amateur; Runner-up, U.S. Amateur stroke play; 2nd, Southern Amateur; Won, Gifford Collegiate; No. 4 in Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings |
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| • Bud Cauley, Alabama junior (32): Member, 2009 Walker Cup team (3-1-0); 5th, Southern Amateur; Second-team All-American in 2009; Won, 2009 Players Amateur; No. 10 inGolfweek/Sagarin College Rankings. |
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| • Alex Ching, San Diego junior (27): Runner-up, NCAA Championship; Round of 16, U.S. Amateur; Round of 64, British Amateur; T-13, 2009 NCAA Championship. |
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| • David Chung, Stanford junior (2): U.S. Amateur runner-up; Won, Western Amateur; Won, Porter Cup; T-9, World Amateur Team Championship; Won, 2009 North & South; Member, U.S. Palmer Cup team (4-0-0). |
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| • Harris English, Georgia senior (18): Quarterfinals, U.S. Amateur Public Links; Round of 16, U.S. Amateur; T-10, Porter Cup; T-27, Nationwide Tour’s Stadion Athens Classic; T-8, Jones Cup. |
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| • John Hahn, Kent State senior (19): Round of 16, U.S. Amateur; T-6, NCAA Championship; Won, Gopher Invitational; Won, 2009 Western Amateur. |
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• Russell Henley, Georgia senior (4): T-16, U.S. Open; 4th, Porter Cup; T-7, Southern Amateur; Fred Haskins Award winner; Golfweek College Player of the Year; Won, Brickyard Collegiate; Won, SEC Championship; T-34, Nationwide Tour’s Stadion Athens Classic; Member, U.S. Palmer Cup
(3-0-1). |
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| • Scott Langley, Illinois senior (3): T-16, U.S. Open; Won, NCAA Championship; Quarterfinals, U.S. Amateur; T-31, World Amateur Team Championship; No. 22, Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings. |
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| • Gregor Main, UCLA junior (13): Runner-up, Western Amateur; Won, 2009 Southern Amateur; T-5, Pacific Coast Amateur; T-9, NCAA Championship; Made cut (70th), 2009 PGA Tour’s Buick Invitational; No. 26, Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings. |
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| • Andrew Putnam, Pepperdine senior (15); Won, Pacific Coast Amateur; T-7, Southern Amateur; 2nd, Sahalee Players Championship; Qualified, 2010 U.S. Open; Won, William H. Tucker Intercollegiate. |
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| • Patrick Reed, Augusta State junior (T-6): Round of 32, U.S. Amateur; Round of 16, U.S. Amateur Public Links; T-2, U.S. Amateur Public Links stroke play; T-7, Sunnehanna Amateur; Won, Jones Cup; Semifinals, 2009 Western Amateur; Semifinals, 2008 U.S. Amateur; No. 14 in Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings. |
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| • Nathan Smith, mid-am (T-6); Three-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion (2010, ’09, ’03); Medalist, 2010 and 2009 U.S. Mid-Am; Member, 2009 Walker Cup team (2-0-1); 2nd, Sunnehanna Amateur; T-6, Jones Cup; 5th, Copa de las Americas. |
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| • Jordan Spieth, high-school senior (41): T-16, PGA Tour’s Byron Nelson Championship; Won, AJGA Ping Invitational; Won, 2009 U.S. Junior; Medalist, 2009 U.S. Junior. T-2, AJGA Junior Players Champonship; 5th, Azalea Invitational. |
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| Peter Uihlein, Oklahoma State junior (1): Member, 2009 Walker Cup team (4-0-0); Won, U.S. Amateur; Won, Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational; T-4, World Amateur Team Championship; T-2, Porter Cup; Won, Sahalee Players Championship; T-7, Sunnehanna Amateur; T-2, NCAA Championship; Won, NCAA Southeast Regional; No. 1, Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings. |
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| • Andrew Yun, Stanford sophomore (T-6) : Round of 32, U.S. Amateur Public Links; T-8, Players Amateur; Won, Dogwood Invitational; T-4, Northeast Amateur; Won, The Prestige; No. 3, Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings; T-2, 2009 Porter Cup; Sweet 16, 2009 Western Amateur. |
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The practice session will be held the first week in January at Old Memorial Golf Club in Tampa, Fla. The session will provide an opportunity for team-building, alternate shot practice and will allow prospective team members to meet captain Jim Holtgrieve and the USGA selectors.
Smyers said that players not invited to the session still will be considered for the 2011 Walker Cup team. “I fully expect someone not (at Old Memorial) to play their way onto the team,” he said.
The 2011 Walker Cup will be played Sept. 10-11 at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club in Scotland |