Sixteen players accept invite to Walker Cup practice session

FAR HILLS, N.J. (Nov. 13, 2014) – Five USGA champions are among the 16 players who have accepted invitations from the United States Golf Association’s International Team Selection Committee to participate in a practice session for the 2015 Walker Cup Match. The practice session will take place Dec. 17-20 at Frederica Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Ga.

The 45th Walker Cup Match will be contested Sept. 12-13, 2015, at Royal Lytham and St. Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England.

Notable players participating include:

Will Zalatoris, of Plano, Texas — The Wake Forest University commit won the U.S. Junior Amateur, Texas State Amateur, and Trans-Mississippi Championship in 2014. He also reached the sweet 16 in Atlanta at the U.S. Amateur before losing to Zachary Olsen.



Bryson Dechambeau, of Clovis, Calif. — A winning member of the United States at the World Amateur Team, where he tied for eighth place individually, DeChambeau also has top-tens at the Western Amateur Stroke- Play Qualifying and the NCAA Southwest Regional. The 2013 Trans-Miss champion also reached the quarters at the U.S. Amateur Public Links and the round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur.

Byron Meth, of San Diego, Calif. — The University of the Pacific senior won the final U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship ever conducted, defeating Texas Longhorn freshman Doug Ghim in the finals after also being medalist. He reached the final 16 at the U.S. Amateur and recorded top-tens at the Sahalee Players and NCAA West Regional.


Doug Ghim, of Arlington Heights, Ill. — Ghim, a freshman at the University of Texas, was runner-up to Meth at the 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links, but that wasn't his only feat this year. He was medalist at the Western Amateur, which was eventually won by his new teammate Beau Hossler, reaching the quarterfinals himself.


Scott Harvey, of Greensboro, N.C. — Winner of this year's U.S. Mid- Amateur over Brad Nurski, where the two shared medalist honors, Harvey is one of three mid- amateurs joining a mainly college-aged group in Georgia. Aside from the USGA win, Harvey captured the Cardinal Amateur title and placed in the top-ten at the Coleman Invitational and Northeast Amateur.


Beau Hossler, of Mission Viejo, Calif. — One of two Texas Longhorns in the group, Hossler took home the prestigious Western Amateur title as well as defended his crown at the Southern California Amateur. He was runner-up at two events in 2014 — the California Amateur and Porter Cup. Hossler, along with Bryson DeChambeau and Denny McCarthy, where part of a victorious United States team at the World Amateur Team Championship.

All other players:

Denny McCarthy, of Rockville, Md.
Charlie Danielson, of Osceola, Wis.
Lee McCoy, of Clarkesville, Ga.
Rico Hoey, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Robby Shelton, of Wilmer, Ala.
Hunter Stewart, of Lexington, Ky.
Kyle Jones, of Snowflake, Ariz.
Maverick McNealy, of Portola Valley, Calif.
Mike McCoy, of West Des Moines, Iowa
Nathan Smith, of Pittsburgh, Pa.

Harvey, McCoy and Smith are mid-amateurs (25 years or older). The other invitees all currently compete at the collegiate level.

Harvey (2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur), McCoy (2013 U.S. Mid- Amateur), Meth (2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links), Smith (2003, 2009, 2010, 2012 U.S. Mid- Amateur) and Zalatoris (2014 U.S. Junior Amateur) are USGA champions. Dechambeau, Hossler and McCarthy made up the winning USA Team for the 2014 World Amateur Team Championship, which defeated Canada by two strokes in Japan in September.

Smith is the only participant with previous Walker Cup Match experience, having competed for the USA in 2009, 2011 and 2013. Smith earned the clinching point in the USA’s 17-9 victory in 2013 at the National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y.

USA captain John “Spider” Miller, a Walker Cup competitor in 1999, emphasized that an invitation to the practice session does not guarantee selection to the 10- man team. He added that many players not included on the 16-man list for December will be in the mix during the final selection process.

“This is an insightful way to get to know these potential Walker Cup players in an informal setting and we have the opportunity to introduce them to the Match and its unique format,” said Miller. “The good people at Frederica Golf Club have offered us their fine facility to start on the process. We appreciate their hospitality.”

The Walker Cup Match is an international team competition that consists of four foursomes (alternate- shot) matches on both mornings of the two-day competition, with eight singles matches on the first afternoon and 10 singles matches on the final afternoon.

The USGA’s International Team Selection Committee chooses the USA Team. The R&A chooses the Great Britain and Ireland side. The GB&I Team will be captained by Nigel Edwards, of Wales, who competed in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007, and also served as captain in 2011 and 2013.

The USA leads the overall series, 35-8-1.