Stout, Watts, Fang, Russell Named to 2026 USA Walker Cup Team

Preston Stout, 22, of Dallas, Texas; Tyler Watts, 18, of Huntsville, Ala.; and Ethan Fang, 21, of Plano, Texas, have earned places on the 2026 USA Walker Cup Team as the top Americans in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR® as of July 8, while Miles Russell, 17, of Jacksonville Beach, Fla. has been added via the USGA Team Selection Committee.

Stout and Fang return for their second Walker Cup appearances, having played in the USA’s 2025 victory at Cypress Point Club, in Pebble Beach, Calif. Watts and Russell, two of the top juniors in the country, are set to make their Walker Cup debuts.

They will compete against Great Britain and Ireland in the 51st Walker Cup Match on Sept. 5-6 at Lahinch Golf Club in the Republic of Ireland.

“Preston and Ethan bring the kind of experience that only comes from having done this before, and that continuity is vital heading into Lahinch,” said Nathan Smith, captain of the USA Team. “Tyler and Miles are young players on the rise who have already shown they belong on this stage. Together they give us a great mix of proven and rising talent, and I couldn't be more excited to lead this group.”

One of the most decorated mid-amateurs in the country, Smith has competed in 56 USGA championships and played on three consecutive Walker Cup Teams (2009, 2011, 2013), earning the clinching point in the 2013 USA victory at the National Golf Links of America, in Southampton, N.Y. In the USA’s 2009 Walker Cup victory at Merion Golf Club, Smith won two foursomes matches with partner Peter Uihlein. His singles victory over GB&I’s Nathan Kimsey provided the winning point in the USA’s 17-9 triumph in 2013. Smith amassed a 3-4-1 record in his three Walker Cup Matches as a player.

The USGA Team Selection Committee may name additional players to the Walker Cup Team prior to the U.S. Amateur Championship. The winner of the 2026 U.S. Amateur Championship, set to be played this August at Merion Golf Club, in Ardmore, Pa., and the recipient of the 2026 McCormack Medal, will also earn automatic exemptions, should they be American.

The Walker Cup Match is a 10-man amateur team competition between the USA and Great Britain and Ireland. Lahinch will be hosting its first Walker Cup Match.

PLAYER PROFILES

Preston Stout, 22, of Dallas, Texas, claimed the NCAA Division I individual title in May at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa's North Course, in Carlsbad, Calif., earning himself his first U.S. Open start at Shinnecock Hills. A member of the victorious 2025 USA Walker Cup team, Stout currently sits at No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking after posting four collegiate victories in the 2025-26 season. Besides his NCAA title, the Oklahoma State All-American also successfully defended his Big 12 Championship. He won the 2025 Northeast Amateur and reached the final 16 of the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club after earning medalist honors in stroke play. He posted a 2-2 mark in the USA Walker Cup victory at Cypress Point last September, winning both of his singles matches, including a 2-and-1 decision over GB&I's Luke Poulter, the son of European Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter and a standout at the University of Florida. He also represented his country in the 2025 Palmer Cup and World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore.

Tyler Watts, 18, of Huntsville, Ala., became the youngest winner in the history of the Northeast Amateur, winning the prestigious event in June at Wannamoisett Country Club, in Rumford, R.I. by five strokes. He currently holds the No. 3 position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. The University of Tennessee signee for the Class of 2026 made history last year winning the 84th Sunnehanna Amateur after shooting 18 under par, the lowest 72-hole score in the history of the event. The left hander also made the championship match of the 2025 North & South Amateur at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club's Course No. 2. In 2023, Watts claimed the 107th Alabama State Amateur Championship title, setting the record as the youngest player in history to win at age 15. That same year, he won the Jones Cup Junior Invitational at Sea Island (Ga.) Golf Club. In 2024, Watts represented the U.S. in the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup in Canada and played in the 2024 U.S. Amateur. Watts, the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up, is a member of the U.S. National Junior Team, having been part of the program since its inception in 2024.

Ethan Fang, 21, of Plano, Texas, is currently No. 4 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking after a strong season that included winning the Maridoe Collegiate and finishing in the top 10 of the Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship. The junior at Oklahoma State also made his U.S. Open debut at Shinnecock Hills this past June. In 2025, he captured The Amateur Championship at Royal St. George's with his victory over Gavin Tiernan in the 36-hole championship match. Just prior to the 2025 U.S. Amateur, Fang advanced to the 18-hole final of the Western Amateur. Those performances helped him earn a selection to the victorious 2025 USA Walker Cup Team. At Cypress Point, he posted a 1-2-1 record, winning his Sunday singles match over Stuart Grehan, 5 and 4, as the Americans posted an 8-1-1 record in the event's final session. Grehan just won The Amateur Championship. He also represented his country at the World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore. In 2024, Fang advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National.

Miles Russell, 17, of Jacksonville Beach, Fla., is fresh off making the cut and finishing T-39 in his U.S. Open debut at Shinnecock Hills. The left-hander, who was a member of the inaugural U.S. National Junior Team, recently finished fifth at the Northeast Amateur, T-2 at the Jones Cup and won the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. The 2027 Florida State commit currently holds the No. 5 position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. In 2024, Russell became the youngest player in Korn Ferry Tour history to make a cut, doing so at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in Florida. He was also named the 2023 and 2025 American Junior Golf Association's Player of the Year. Russell reached the quarterfinals of the 2025 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills. He also received sponsor invites into the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic and Bermuda Championship, narrowly missing the cut in both PGA Tour events.