Top three players in the World Amateur Golf Rankings® to join the USA Team
LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (June 20, 2025) – Jackson Koivun, 20, of Chapel Hill, N.C.; Ben James, 22, of Milford, Conn.; and Michael La Sasso, 21, of Raleigh, N.C., have earned places on the 2025 USA Walker Cup Team as the top Americans in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR® as of June 18. They will compete against Great Britain and Ireland in the 50th Walker Cup Match on Sept. 6-7 at the Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, Calif.
James returns for his second Walker Cup appearance, having gone 1-2 in the USA’s 2023 victory at St. Andrews. Koivun and La Sasso, meanwhile, will make their Walker Cup debuts.
“Jackson, Ben and Michael are fantastic additions to the team,” said Nathan Smith, captain of the USA Team. “Not only have all three of these young men had impressive seasons, resulting in these automatic selections, but they are also future stars of our game who bring immense talent, enthusiasm and camaraderie to the team. Having them included in the experience at Cypress Point is something I am very much looking forward to both personally and as team captain.”
One of the most decorated mid-amateurs in the country, Smith has competed in 48 USGA championships, six State Team championships and played on three consecutive Walker Cup Teams (2009, 2011, 2013), earning the clinching point in the 2013 USA victory at the National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y. In the USA’s 2009 Walker Cup victory at Merion Golf Club, Smith won two foursomes matches with partner Peter Uihlein. His singles victory over GB&I’s Nathan Kimsey provided the winning point in the USA’s 17-9 triumph in 2013. Smith amassed a 3-4-1 record in his three Walker Cup Matches.
The USGA’s International Team Selection working group (ITS) may name a second set of additional players to the Walker Cup Team prior to the U.S. Amateur Championship. The winner of the 2025 U.S. Amateur, set to take place Aug. 11-17 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif., and the recipient of the 2025 McCormack Medal, should they be American, will earn the final automatic spots onto the team.
The Walker Cup Match is a 10-man amateur team competition between the USA and Great Britain and Ireland. Cypress Point Club previously hosted the 1981 Walker Cup, when the USA defeated GB&I, 15-9, led by Corey Pavin, Jay Sigel and Hal Sutton.
PLAYER PROFILES
Jackson Koivun, 20, of Chapel Hill, N.C., a rising junior at Auburn, became the first freshman to win the Haskins Award, given annually to the top collegiate golfer, since Alabama’s Justin Thomas more than a decade earlier. He swept all the major college awards, including the Phil Mickelson Award for being the top freshman. As a freshman, he posted a 3-0 match-play record to help Auburn claim its first-ever NCAA title while finishing a stroke out of the top spot individually. In 2024-25, Koivun again was a first-team All-American and selected to represent the U.S. in the Palmer Cup. He also repeated as the Southeastern Conference’s Player of the Year. The Chapel Hill, N.C., resident advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 U.S. Amateur, losing to eventual winner Nick Dunlap, 1 down. Koivun is a part of the inaugural Elite Amateur Program, part of the U.S. National Development Program launched by the USGA. This program serves to provide support as young golfers navigate their college years and transition to the next level.
Ben James, 22, of Milford, Conn., is a three-time first-team All-American at the University of Virginia and recently led the Cavaliers to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Championship. In 2023, James won the Phil Mickelson Award for being the country’s top freshman. He also represented the USA on the victorious 2023 Walker Cup Team at St. Andrews in Scotland. He also represented the U.S on the 2023 and 2024 Palmer Cup Teams. He advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 U.S. Amateur, losing to Parker Bell in 19 holes, and lost in the Round of 64 of the 2024 championship to eventual winner Jose Luis Ballester. James tied for 33rd in the 2025 Valero Texas Open, getting into the PGA Tour event by capturing the Valero Texas Collegiate. He also has played in the Travelers Championship in his home state of Connecticut in 2023 and 2024.
Michael La Sasso, 21, of Raleigh, N.C., claimed the NCAA Division I individual title in May at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa’s North Course, in Carlsbad, Calif. La Sasso spent one season at hometown North Carolina State before transferring to Ole Miss. Last year, he represented the USA in the Palmer Cup at Lahinch, and did so again earlier this month at Congaree Golf Club in Jasper County, S.C. La Sasso claimed three tournament titles in his All-American 2024-25 campaign and led the squad with a 69.51 stroke average. As a sophomore, he led the Rebels with a 69.25 stroke average. Prior to his NCAA win, he was the runner-up in the NCAA Tallahassee (Fla.) Regional. He competed in the 2024 U.S. Amateur and made the 36-hole cut in the Western Amateur.
About the USGA
The USGA is a mission-based golf organization whose purpose is to unify the golf community through handicapping and grassroots programs; to showcase the game’s best talent through the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally and 13 other national championships and our museum; to provide unbiased global governance with The R&A through the playing, equipment and Amateur Status rules; and to advance issues important to golf’s future, with a focus on driving sustainability, accessibility and inclusion. As a nonprofit association, our work and our team are driven to act for the good of the game. For more, visit usga.org.
