On Sunday, the USGA named three more players to the Walker Cup team that will play in Scotland, September 10-11 at Royal Aberdeen.  A week prior, rising UCLA sophomore Patrick Cantlay, 21-year-old Peter Uihlein, and Georgia graduates Russell Henley and Harris English were named after the Porter Cup. Now after the Western Amateur, three-time Mid-Amateur champion and 2009 Walker Cup team member Nathan Smith, standout freshman to be Patrick Rodgers and rising Washington junior Chris Williams were named to the team.

Nathan Smith of Pittsburgh, Pa., is now representing the United States for the second time. A Division III All-American at Allegheny College, Smith now works in the ‘real world,’ but plays the game better than ever. He is a three-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion making him the second players to do so. The rumor before the team members were picked was that Uihlein went over to play Royal Aberdeen before his stint at the British Open and texted Smith telling his that he will tee off on the even holes during their alternate-shot matches. Why you ask? Most are right-to-left, just like Smith’s preferred ball flight. Looks like they want to be paired together, again, after going 2-0 in 2009.

Patrick Rodgers came on strong this summer in the amateur events he played in. He really turned on his game when he came from behind to win at the Porter Cup just two weeks ago by rolling in a 12-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win over Wesley Bryan. Since the Jones Cup in February, Rodgers has six top-5 finishes, including the win. He lost to eventual teammate, Andrew Yun, in the first-round of the Western Am in 21 holes.

Finally, Chris Williams of Moscow, Idaho, is a pick to be unexpected so early, but well deserved after the summer he has had. He started his summer off by qualifying for the U.S. Open and then making the Palmer Cup team, where he went undefeated. Then his sizzling summer continued when he won the Sahalee Championship and the Pacific Coast Amateur. And continued to roll at the Western, where he earned medalist honors over Rodgers. He is only the second Washington Huskie to be named to the team (Brock Mackenzie, 2003).

Things are heating up as here are still three spots remaining with the U.S. Amateur just two weeks. Some players to keep an eye on for the next few weeks are 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur champion and another freshman to be Jordan Spieth, 2011 NCAA Individual champion John Peterson and 2011 Players Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Corbin Mills. If all three of these players have strong U.S. Amateurs, you can guarantee they are making the team. Others to keep an eye on are Andrew Yun, Scott Langley, Blayne Barber and Gregor Main. Hopefully the selection process gets a little bit easier for the USGA committee, but if all of these players have strong Amateurs, be sure for it to be difficult.

With these players already have been selected, there is a good chance they are starting to make relationships that will work on the golf course during team competition. As mentioned above, Uihlein and Smith will probably play together since they dominated back in 2009 and seeing that they want to play together again. As for the rest go, it’s pretty hard to say considering there are some older and younger teammates. It might be good to mix the young with the old, but maybe go with the old veterans and young guns. For now, we will have to wait and see who else is named to the team before other ‘pairings’ can be named.

All I know is that I cannot wait to get over to Ireland and watch the USA defend its title on European soil.