Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss the epic GB&I Walker Cup comeback and look ahead to next week’s Solheim Cup in the Netherlands.
Great Britain & Ireland won the 51st Walker Cup Sunday at Lahinch in Ireland, storming back to take seven of 10 points in Sunday singles to stun the Americans, win 13.5-12.5 and claim their first victory in the event for the first time in the last six meetings. How in the world did they pull this off?
Zephyr Melton, associate game-improvement editor (@zephyrmelton): Momentum is a hell of a thing. Winning the first four points of the singles session (in fairly dominant fashion) was huge for their self-belief. From there, they rode the momentum and energy from the home crowd to one heck of a victory.
Josh Schrock, associate news editor (@schrock_and_awe): Zeph nailed it. They grabbed “Uncle Mo,” thanks to big wins by Stuart Grehan, Jack Whaley, Luke Poulter and Tyler Weaver, got the home crowd into it and made the Americans press. Everything had to go their way, and it did. Sports!
Jack Hirsh, associate equipment editor (@JR_HIRSHey): They flipped the script. In recent history, the Americans have dominated in singles while the GB&I team has been extremely successful in foursomes, the only team format the Walker Cup uses. This week, it was the opposite. On the strength of the foursomes sweep Sunday morning, the American team won the eight foursomes matches for the week for the first time since 2019. But GB&I were able to halve Saturday’s singles session and then pull ahead with the impressive 7-3 run Sunday afternoon.
GB&I held a 6.5-5.5 lead after Day 1, although the Americans won all four Sunday foursomes matches to take a 9.5-6.5 lead into singles. With the Americans winning the last five Walker Cups, did you think it was over heading into Sunday singles? What was the biggest turning point on Sunday?
Melton: It was hard not to think the Americans were on their way to yet another win. With a clean sweep in the morning, it looked as though the Walker Cup would be coming back to the States yet again. That is, to everyone except those in the GB&I team room. What a comeback from the lads.
Schrock: After the Sunday morning sweep, I thought it was over, especially with Preston Stout and Ethan Fang going out early. Even if they lost, Miles Russell, Tyler Watts and Ryder Cowan looked like an unbreakable firewall in the back. That was wrong.
Hirsh: Because of the past dominance in singles, it’s usually a safe bet
And your 2026 Walker Cup MVP is…
Melton: Give me Stuart Grehan. He was matched up against top-ranked amateur Preston Stout in all four sessions, and came away with 2.5 points — including victories in both singles matches. That’s some heady stuff.
Schrock: It’s Grehan by a mile.
Hirsh: Can’t even debate this, Grehan. Only mid-am. Only Irishman. Goes toe-to-toe with the No. 1 amateur. This is the stuff amateur players dream of.
The Walker Cup visited places like Cypress Point, St. Andrews and Seminole ahead of this year’s meeting at Lahinch, and in two years it’s heading to Bandon Dunes in Oregon. Does the Walker Cup have the best course collection of venues among all of golf’s premier events? And what could a certain organization that’s beginning to iron out details for a new, reinvented match-play postseason come 2028 learn from the Walker Cup?
Melton: Venues matter! I was at the 2021 Walker Cup at Seminole and it was one of my favorite events I’ve ever covered. When fans get a glimpse at some of golf’s most hallowed grounds, it only elevates the interest in the event. As far as the best collection of courses goes, the only event that can compete is the Curtis Cup, whose future venues include Royal Dornoch(!), NGLA(!!), Pine Valley(!!!), Cypress Point(!!!!) and Seminole(!!!!!). There are no events that can stack up with a list like that.
Schrock: Yes and the Walker Cup’s secret sauce is not caring about infrastructure or big crowds and going to small, historic venues that we don’t ever get to see and won’t host big PGA Tour events or majors. Best event in golf.
Hirsh: Agree with my colleagues here. It’s amazing how nobody seems to care what par is in a match play event. No one cared that the last two hosts are under 7,000 yards from the tips when it’s match play, despite the fact that the players on the teams are some of the longest in golf. Just take it to a great golf course and let the golf take care of itself. Nothing else. And as Zephyr brings up Royal Dornoch — a course notably shorter than 6800 yards — hosting the Curtis Cup, I would love to see it added to the Walker Cup rota, with the R&A only having selected one future venue.
The 20th Solheim Cup gets underway later this week in the Netherlands, as the U.S. tries to win for the second straight meeting following Europe owning the Cup for the previous three. The Americans’ top player, Nelly Korda, had a strong start to the season but failed to finish in the top 20 in her only two starts in August, and the U.S. also used captain’s picks on a couple players who were crucial to their 2024 win but have struggled lately. Who has the advantage this week, and what’s the biggest Solheim Cup storyline you’re looking forward to seeing unfold?
Melton: Outside of Nelly leading Team USA, the American roster is somewhat underwhelming. That fact, coupled with the road-team disadvantage, should give Team Europe the edge. As far as storylines go, I’m excited to watch Julia Lopez Ramirez blasting away off the tee in foursomes. Her driving distance should be a huge asset to Team Europe all week long.
Schrock: The biggest storyline to me is: Who provides the support for Korda? I liked the pick of Rose Zhang who is playing better but would’ve liked to see the Americans take Kiara Romero instead of Megan Khang. As Zeph said, the Americans’ roster outside of Nelly is underwhelming, especially with Angel Yin just coming back from an illness. I’m excited to see how Angela Stanford pairs up her team and if she can find a way to make her team be greater than the sum of its parts.
Hirsh: Can Korda put the team on her back and lead the underwhelming U.S. squad to victory? That would be a helluva finish to a season in which she won two majors.
And, finally, who wins? And who will be the event’s MVP?
Melton: Europe and Carlota Ciganda. She’s an absolute menace in this event. I expect it to continue this week.
Schrock: Europe and Esther Henseleit. She showed a ton of moxy at the AIG Women’s Open and feel like she’s destined to be a problem for the Americans. If the U.S. wins, it’ll be because Zhang and Yealimi Noh play to their ceiling.
Hirsh: Europe and Carlota Ciganda. She’s like the Solheim Cup’s version of Ian Poulter.
