Early Team USA Walker Cup Predictions

After his performance at the NCAA, Patrick Cantlay must be a lock for the U.S. Walker Cup team. This kid was the college player of the year and, if memory serves, a semi-finalist in the US Amateur last August. He also qualified at Columbus for the US Open, with rounds of 65-70, essentially against a PGA Tour field. Here are my other sure things:

US Amateur champion Peter Uihlein;
US Amateur runner-up David Chung;
US Mid-Amateur champ Nathan Smith;
Nationwide Tour winner Russell Henley;
AUTHOR’S NOTE ON 6/18-HENLEY AND PATRICK CANTLAY (TOP NCAA GOLFER OF 2010-11) BOTH MADE THE CUT AT US OPEN. BOTH WILL MAKE THIS WALKER CUP TEAM, SO WE NOW HAVE FIVE. SMITH WON THE SUNNEHANNA AMATEUR IN JUNE, LOCKING IN HIS SPOT.)

The next level contains players who should make the team with a win at a tourney like Sunnehanna, Porter Cup, Northeast, US Publinks or Western, or a pair of lesser tourneys like Rice Planters, Monroe, Eastern, etc.:

Kevin Tway;
Gavin Hall;
Jordan Spieth

Hall is a high school junior while Spieth is an entering freshman at UTexas. I’m not sure if the USGA will want two so-young players. Stay tuned and see!