SOUTH BEND, Ind. – After a season of firsts on the course in 2025 for the then-sophomore, Jacob Modleski becomes the first student-athlete in Notre Dame men’s golf program history to be named to the Walker Cup team. Modleski received the call Sunday morning and is set to compete at the event in early September.
The Walker Cup is a biennial amateur golf competition consisting of teams representing the United States and Great Britain/Ireland. 2025 marks the 50th edition of the Walker Cup and will be played at Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, California, September 6-7.
“It’s the highest recognition in amateur golf to be selected to represent your country at the Walker Cup,” Director of Golf and head men’s golf coach John Handrigan said of Modleski being named to the Walker Cup roster. “It is an exceptional accomplishment by Jacob, earned from a culmination of elite golf.”
Modleski joins a team of 10 to represent Team USA next month, as he and four others were announced by the USGA to accompany five individuals previously named late last month.
The rising junior at Notre Dame, led his team to the 2025 NCAA Tournament Regionals and earned a berth in the NCAA Championships as an individual behind his fourth-place finish at the Tallahassee Regional. He finished the 2024-25 collegiate season with a program-low 68.5 stroke average, breaking the record of 69.9 set by Palmer Jackson in 2023-24.
In addition to his program bests, Modleski finished the season ranked 18th nationally after a 22nd-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Since the 2024-25 college season wrapped, Modleski has gone on to compete as an individual at numerous events, including a quarterfinals finish at the U.S. Amateur Championship, marking back-to-back years in which he advanced to the Quarterfinals.
“The most impressive part was Jacobs’s performance in the last 2 events of the summer when the pressure was mounting the most for the Walker Cup team selection and he preformed his best,” Handrigan added. “The top players play their best under pressure and that’s exactly what he did. Modleski is a great player but he’s truly an even better person and I couldn’t be happier for him.
“Notre Dame Golf at the Walker Cup.” Handrigan concluded. “I’m a very proud coach as this validates the high quality of our program.”