The 51st Walker Cup begins Saturday in Ireland, but Monday, the 20 contestants and their captains took on a different sport.
Members of the United States and Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup teams attended a hurling clinic, hosted by the Clare hurling team.
What is hurling? It's one of Ireland's biggest sports that combines elements of lacrosse, field hockey and baseball. It's a fast-paced game placed with 15 players on both teams competing on a large grass pitch. Players use a wooden stick called a hurley to hit a small, leather-covered ball called a sliotar. Players score 3 points by hitting the ball into the net or 1 point by hitting it over the crossbar between the upright posts.
The USA and GB&I Walker Cup teams attended a hurling clinic
Monday hosted by players from the Clare hurling team Fascinated to know more about this sport pic.twitter.com/qzAsxtKQ6M
— Cameron Jourdan (@Cam_Jourdan) September 1, 2026
The sport dates 3,000 years, one of the oldest field sports in the world, and has deep ties to Irish mythology and Celtic warrior training.
And on Monday, golfers took a break from preparing for the biennial bout to learn a new sport.
The Walker Cup begins Saturday at Lahinch, the first time the course has hosted the competition. The USA leads the all-time series, 40-9-1, and has won five straight.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: What is hurling? Walker Cup players get crash course in Ireland’s oldest sport
