It’s officially the Walker Cup weekend. Lahinch, the host, will witness Team Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) try to win the trophy for the first time in 11 years. It won’t be easy, as they have lost the last five matches to Team USA. But all hope is not lost. Both teams have strong players, including these three. 

Tyler Weaver

Tyler Weaver is the strongest player in Team GB&I, third in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), and five spots ahead of World No. 8 Luke Poulter. He also won the Valspar Collegiate Invitational in March and earned an invitation to next year’s Valspar Championship on the PGA Tour.

But now, just like last season, he is paired with Connor Graham. The two will play the Saturday morning foursome against Jay Leng Jr. and Kihei Akina. The GB&I team may face some trouble, though.

This is the first tournament Weaver will play since April. The World No. 3 has been dealing with an oblique injury since. However, if things go in Weaver’s and Graham’s way, it will be impossible to catch them. Last year, the pair secured the opening point against Jackson Koivun and Tommy Morrison, though Team USA eventually won the Walker Cup. 

Preston Stout

Preston Stout is the highest-ranked (1st) player in the entire field and the reigning NCAA individual champion. This is the second time he will play the Walker Cup, having won the singles last season. Stout will pair with Ethan Fang in the Saturday foursomes against Stuart Grehan and Eliot Baker. Stout is ready to “play the villain” in front of the 8,000 spectators at Lahinch. 

“We’re excited to be the villain this week—to be the bad guy,” he was quoted by the USGA as saying. “We have spoken about trying to hush the crowd. There are going to be a lot of people out there, and it’s going to be loud…” However, the GB&I players may have an advantage. 

According to a Golf Digest report, Fang and Stout, along with William Jennings, missed Friday’s final practice after suffering from a stomach bug. U.S. captain Nathan Smith said all 10 players will be present during Saturday’s play; however, he has asked alternates to be prepared as well. 

Connor Graham

Ranked 26th in the World, Connor Graham might be the other deciding factor for Team GB&I. Graham, along with Luke Poulter, tied for the lowest aggregate score during the Friday practice rounds. The conditions were brutal with heavy winds blowing and gusts up to 50 mph. Regardless, Graham is promising. 

He is one of the two 19-year-olds in the field, yet one of the most experienced. He is playing his third Walker Cup, having debuted at the age of 16, when he became the youngest player in a Walker Cup field. Graham is promising, having finished in the top 10 multiple times this season, including at the South of Ireland Men’s Amateur Open Championship.

As mentioned before, he and Weaver took down Koivun and Morrison at Cypress Point last year. However, they lost to the same pair the next day. Graham will have to be careful about that. 

Aside from that, he has history at stake, too. According to Fried Egg Golf, if he wins all his matches this week, he will tie Luke Donald for the third-highest points total in GB&I history. It all depends on how he battles the wind this time. 

Honorable mentions: It is impossible not to consider Miles Russell, Tyler Watts, and Jay Leng Jr. as possible prospects who could change the Walker Cup this week in a hot minute. The same is the case with Jack Whaley, who is benched for the first session. It is, according to Golf Channel, the third time in the last four Walker Cups that the U.S. Amateur winner has been benched for the opening session.