Walker Cup

The 51st Walker Cup to be played at Lahinch in 2026

The R&A

10 Jul 23

3 mins

Lahinch will stage the 51st Walker Cup between Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of America on Saturday, 5 and Sunday 6, September 2026.

The renowned links, which is situated on the northwest coast of County Clare in Ireland, will host the international match for the first time in its history when the two sides meet in the biennial encounter.

Irish support

Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, said, “Lahinch is widely regarded as being one of the finest links courses in Ireland and so there will be great excitement at the prospect of the Walker Cup being played there for the very first time. “Whenever we have staged a championship or international match on the island of Ireland, we have always been fortunate to have Irish fans turn out in great numbers to support the competing golfers and generate a fantastic atmosphere. “We look forward to enjoying another special occasion in 2026 when many of the world’s best men’s amateur golfers will represent Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of America to compete for this historic trophy.”

John Rahm - Spain

Two-time major champion Rahm won the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open for the second time in his career when it was hosted at Lahinch back in 2019.

Iconic match

Lahinch hosted the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in 2019 when two-time major champion Jon Rahm won Ireland’s national championship for the second time. The South of Ireland Amateur Championship, first played in 1895, continues to be held there annually. Previous winners include three-time Amateur champion Joe Carr, 2011 Champion Golfer Darren Clarke, Ryder Cup-winning captain Paul McGinley and 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell. John Gleeson, Chairperson, Lahinch, said, “The Walker Cup has long been an iconic fixture at the pinnacle of men’s amateur golf and for Lahinch to be invited to host the matches, following on from St Andrews and Cypress Point in 2025 is a major honour for our Club and links.”

About the match

The match is being played in 2026 so that it is not held in the same year as the World Amateur Team Championships and will continue to be played biannually thereafter. Tickets for this year’s Walker Cup match being played on the Old Course, St Andrews on Saturday, 2 and Sunday, 3 September are available to purchase here.

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