The U.S. Walker Cup team expects to be at full strength when the biennial amateur competition begins Saturday at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland, despite a stomach illness that affected several players during the week. Ethan Feng and William Jennings missed Thursday practice, while three Americans skipped the team banquet that evening. Captain Nathan Smith said Friday that all 10 players were ready to compete, though first alternate Max Herendeen had been contacted and placed on standby in case another player could not recover.
“We knew the guys were going to be fine, but we decided to take that precaution,” Smith said. Herendeen is not currently in Ireland, creating logistical complications if he were needed on short notice. Smith said the illness appeared to be a brief bug rather than the more serious outbreak that affected both teams at the 2021 Walker Cup, adding that the players were “bouncing around” and feeling better after an extra day of rest.
The Americans are set to face Great Britain and Ireland in a demanding three-session format. Four foursomes matches will be played Saturday morning, followed by eight singles matches Saturday afternoon. Sunday begins with another four foursomes matches before all 10 players from each team compete in singles. Smith said the U.S. had made only limited lineup changes and was confident in the pairings scheduled to open the event.
Elsewhere, LIV Golf player Peter Uihlein was disqualified from the DP World Tour’s first-stage qualifying event at Huddersfield Golf Club in England after failing to appear for his third round. Uihlein opened with a 74 and a 73 before being removed from the competition. He was one of several LIV players attempting to enter the DP World Tour pathway as uncertainty continues around LIV’s future and the potential return of fines and suspensions for players competing in rival events. Uihlein has made 131 DP World Tour appearances and won the 2013 Madeira Islands Open; he finished 22nd in LIV Golf’s season-long points race this year.