(Reuters) – The biennial Walker Cup match between amateur teams from Britain & Ireland and the United States will be contested in even years from 2026, organisers the R&A and the USGA announced on Monday.
The shift is being made to move the match away from the World Amateur Team Championships, which will be played in odd years beginning in 2023 to avoid clashing with the Olympics.
“We have looked at this carefully with the USGA and believe that this change creates the best schedule for the players and for the Walker Cup match itself,” Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, said in a statement.
“The Walker Cup is at the forefront of men’s amateur golf and we want to ensure that its status is reflected in its position in the golfing calendar.”
The Walker Cup, last held in 2021, is played between 10-man amateur teams over two days with 18 singles matches and eight foursomes matches.
The 2023 edition will be played from Sept. 2-3 at St Andrews, Scotland, while the 2025 edition is scheduled for Pebble Beach, California.
The U.S. have dominated the competition, winning 38 times while Britain & Ireland have won nine times, with one match tied.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
