Far Hills, N.J. – The 2011 USA Walker Cup Team is now complete with the final three players named today by the International Team Selection Committee of the United States Golf Association. The 2011 Walker Cup Match will be played Sept. 10-11 at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The players are:
Blayne Barber, 21, Lake City, Fla.
Kelly Kraft, 22, Denton, Texas.
Jordan Spieth, 18, Dallas, Texas.
(Note: Biographical information on the players can be found at: http://www.usga.org/WalkerCup/ChampEventArticle.aspx?id=21474842022)
Previously, Patrick Cantlay, 19, Los Alamitos, Calif.; Harris English, 22, Thomasville, Ga.; Russell Henley, 22, Macon, Ga.; Patrick Rodgers, 18, Avon, Ind.; Nathan Smith, 33, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Chris Williams, 20, Moscow, Idaho; and Peter Uihlein, 21, Orlando, Fla. were named to the team that will compete against 10 amateurs representing Great Britain and Ireland.
Andrew Yun, 20, of Chandler, Calif., is the first alternate.
The captain of the USA Team is Jim Holtgrieve, 63, of St. Louis, Mo., who was a playing member of the 1979, 1981 and 1983 USA Teams, as well as the 1981 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion.
Last month, Spieth joined Tiger Woods as the only golfers to have won multiple U.S. Junior Amateur titles. Kraft defeated Cantlay, 2 up, to win the 2011 U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills, while Barber enjoyed a strong sophomore season at Auburn University and helped the U.S. win the Palmer Cup in June.
The biennial Walker Cup Match consists of 18 singles matches and eight foursomes (alternate-shot) matches over the competition’s two days. The USA Team has won the last three Matches and leads the series overall, 34-7-1.
About the USGA
The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, equipment standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s working jurisdiction comprises the United States, its territories and Mexico.
The USGA is a global leader in the development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and funds an ongoing For the Good of the Game grants program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.
For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.