Top 10 amateurs set to shine at legendary Cypress Point in California

While the Ryder Cup is still a few weeks away, its amateur counterpart takes center stage this weekend in one of the most jaw-dropping settings the sport has to offer. The Walker Cup returns to Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, California, for the first time since 1981, bringing not only top amateur talent but also a rare glimpse inside one of golf's most exclusive playgrounds.

The Walker Cup is a biennial showdown that pits the best amateurs from the United States against their peers from Great Britain and Ireland. And before you think "minor leagues," think again: this event has historically produced many future Ryder Cup and PGA Tour stars. This year's edition is particularly stacked, featuring eight of the world's top 10 amateurs. Leading the charge are world No. 1 Jackson Koivun of the US and reigning 2025 US Amateur champion Mason Howell, both hoping to give Team USA the edge on their home turf.

Half the magic of this event is the venue itself. Cypress Point is a name whispered in golf circles with almost mythical reverence. Built in 1929 and perched dramatically along the Pacific Ocean, this Alister MacKenzie masterpiece boasts a membership of just around 250 people—among them, Jim Nantz, Clint Eastwood, and Charles Schwab. For decades, the club has stayed out of the national spotlight, with the last major professional event held there being the 1990 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

"There's an air of mystery to it," says NBC Sports director Jeff Jastrow, who will bring the course into prime-time living rooms via Golf Channel this weekend. NBC is pulling out all the stops, with drones capturing the crashing Pacific, a 150-foot crane set between the famous 16th and 17th holes, and sweeping views designed to make golf fans at home whisper their own "oh wow."

NBC producer Chris McGuire likened the first glimpse of Cypress to stepping onto Augusta National, simply saying, "You're just blown away." Fans clearly agree. Tickets that originally sold for $200 are now being resold at eye-watering prices—around $800 for Saturday and $500 for Sunday. The USGA, which runs the event in the States, has capped attendance at about 4,000 per day to preserve Cypress's famously tricky terrain.

The Walker Cup will have to contend not only with wind off the Pacific but also with a packed weekend of college football and NFL games.