Editor's note: Golfweek's Cameron Jourdan is following all the action from Merion. You can follow along on his social media (X/Twitter, Instagram) and check out Wednesday's coverage.
ARDMORE, PA — A year ago, all Max Herendeen could think about was making the United States Walker Cup team.
It was in the back of his mind every time he teed it up. His thoughts for every tournament, every round and every shot were aimed at playing well enough to don the red, white and blue at Cypress Point.
"It ate at me," Herendeen said. "And it didn't end up happening."
Herendeen, set to begin his senior season at Illinois later this month, was intent on not letting that happen again.
Herendeen has approached this summer differently, but the Walker Cup remains in the background,
just as it does for many players still alive at this week's 126th U.S. Amateur. For numerous players who made match play, making a deep run could be the difference between playing at Lahinch next month and sitting at home. The team will be finalized after this week, so match play is the last chance for prospects to show captain Nathan Smith and the USGA selection committee why he deserves a spot.
For some, the thoughts are creeping in plenty. Herendeen's approach is different this time around.
"This year was more relaxed and laid back," Herendeen said Tuesday after a 6-and-5 win in the Round of 64 at Merion Golf Club. "Hoping to make the team. I think I've got to play pretty well this week to have a chance, but we'll see. I'm playing good golf, and I know I can help the boys out in Ireland."
Herendeen is one of numerous bubble players hoping to make their case this week for the final couple spots on the team. Four players – Preston Stout, Ethan Fang, Miles Russell and Tyler Watts – are already on the roster. Three others, William Jennings, Ryder Cowan and Josiah Gilbert, are among those who have not earned picks but are believed to have a strong chance to make the team.
There will be a mid-am representative on the team, likely Stewart Hagestad, who also advanced to the Round of 32 on Wednesday and has played in five straight Walker Cups. Then, if Sunday's champion at Merion is an American, he'll earn an automatic spot on the team.
Depending on how the week unfolds, there may be only one spot left for a group of players who arrived at Merion with realistic hopes of making the team.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it at all, but I'm really trying to focus as best I can on this week and every match, every hole," said Jay Leng Jr., who won the Western Amateur two weeks ago and has played himself into the bubble conversation. "Trying to keep my mind off of it, but obviously I've been thinking about it a little bit."
Leng and Herendeen are two of a handful of players hoping to have strong performances at Merion to earn a spot on the team. There's also Kihei Akina, the rising BYU sophomore who won the Phil Mickelson Award as the nation's top freshman last year. Then there's Eric Lee, Oklahoma State teammates with Stout and Fang, who made the semifinals of the 2025 U.S. Amateur.
Carson Bertagnole has been one of amateur golf's biggest stars this summer, even though he hasn't won. He has rounds of 62 and 61 and top-three finishes at the Northeast and Southern Amateurs, as well as the Monroe Invitational.
Sitting further outside the bubble than many, Bertagnole is continuing to channel the underdog mentality he has all summer.
"I've thought about the Walker Cup all summer," Bertagnole admitted after his Round of 64 win. "Just gotta focus on the next shot every single time instead of what could happen."
Bertagnole will face Herendeen in the Round of 32 come Thursday morning. The winner's Walker Cup hopes will shine brighter. The losers will come to an end.
At the end of the day, there's a chance only one player from the group on the bubble can make it through. That's why making as far of a run as possible, or even winning and guaranteeing a spot, is critical.
Hagestad remains one of the best mid-ams in the world, and his playing days are far from over. One day, he'll be a Walker Cup captain and following players during the U.S. Amateurs as they try to earn a spot on Team USA.
"I think that everyone that's in the conversation checks a lot of those boxes, and this is obviously the final week and the final push," Hagestad said.
Someone will rise to the occasion. The others will be left wondering what if.
Cameron Jourdan is an assistant editor of Golfweek, covering college and amateur golf, the PGA Tour and plenty more. Follow Cameron on X/Twitter (@Cam_Jourdan) or Instagram (@GolfweekJourdan).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: With Walker Cup decision looming, U.S. Amateur becomes proving ground for hopeful Americans
