And then there were 5: Nick Dunlap, Caleb Surratt added to U.S. Walker Cup team

Nick Dunlap and Caleb Surratt were two of the top freshmen in the country last season. Now, they will both be teammates on their first Walker Cup team.

Dunlap, a rising sophomore at Alabama who has enjoyed a red-hot summer, and Surratt, a rising sophomore at Tennessee who had a blistering summer last year and recently made a pro cut, were named Monday afternoon as the fourth and fifth members of this year’s American squad that will face Great Britain and Ireland on Sept. 2-3 at St. Andrews’ Old Course.

The pair join previously announced U.S. team members Gordon Sargent, Michael Thorbjornsen and David Ford. The final five spots will be named after the U.S. Amateur in a few weeks. One spot will go to the U.S. Amateur champion, provided that player is American.

Dunlap is ranked No. 10 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, two places behind Surratt.

“Nick and Caleb are excellent additions to further solidify this year’s team,” said U.S. captain Mike McCoy. “These two players have worked tirelessly to put themselves in a position to be selected to this team and I’m thrilled to see their hard work be rewarded. I look forward to having them on our side at the Old Course.” 

Dunlap won once during his freshman season, though he capped it with a T-4 at regionals and T-11 at the NCAA Championship. He then qualified for the U.S. Open, where he missed the cut, but followed that with back-to-back Elite Amateur Series victories at the Northeast Amateur and North and South Amateur, the latter of which is decided by match play. He also was T-8 at the Southern Amateur.

Surratt won twice as a freshman, including the SEC Championship, and capped his first season with the Vols with five straight top-10s. After last summer, when he rattled off six straight top-10s in big championships, Surratt has been quieter this summer, though he still owns a runner-up to Dunlap at the Northeast, a top-15 at Sunnehanna and he made the cut last week at the Korn Ferry Tour’s NV5 Invitational, where he ended up T-35.

Notable Americans still yet to qualify for McCoy’s 10-man team include world No. 5 Austin Greaser, No. 6 Dylan Menante, No. 7 Ben James, No. 9 Nick Gabrelcik, No. 12 Michael Brennan, No. 13 Cole Sherwood, No. 14 Luke Clanton and No. 15 Stewart Hagestad.