FAR HILLS, N.J. -- The United States finalized its 10-man team for the 2007 Walker Cup on Monday by adding Rickie Fowler and Kyle Stanley, leaving out British Amateur champion Drew Weaver and U.S. Amateur finalist Michael Thompson.
The United States will try to retain the cup Sept. 8-9 at Royal Country Down in Northern Ireland against an amateur team from Great Britain & Ireland, which has not lost at home since 1991.
The other U.S. team members previously chosen by the USGA are U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links winner Colt Knost of Southern Methodist, NCAA champion Jamie Lovemark of Southern California, Billy Horschel of Florida, Dustin Johnson of Coastal Carolina, Chris Kirk of Georgia, Jonathan Moore of Oklahoma State, Webb Simpson of Wake Forest and veteran amateur Tripp Kuehne, who will be playing on his fourth Walker Cup team.
Fowler, 18, won the Sunnehanna Amateur by one shot. Stanley won the Southern Amateur last year.
The USGA picked Thompson and Weaver and Alex Prugh as alternates.
Weaver, a sophomore at Virginia Tech who was on campus the day a shooting rampage left 33 dead, became the first American since 1979 to capture the British Amateur. That got him into the Open Championship at Carnoustie, where he missed the cut by two shots.
Thompson reached the 36-hole final match Sunday at the U.S. Amateur, losing on the 35th hole to Knost. Asked if he would be disappointed not to make the Walker Cup team, Thompson said, "I would be surprised more than disappointed."
Knost lobbied for a spot on the U.S. team for Thompson.
"If he doesn't make that team, something is really wrong," Knost said.
The U.S. captain will be Buddy Marucci, who lost to Tiger Woods in the U.S. Amateur final in 1995. The American team was chosen by a USGA committee.
"I couldn't be more pleased to lead this Walker Cup squad to Ireland," said Marucci. "It is an honor to be involved with this competition and these fine young men who will represent the USA. I appreciate the commitment on the part of our players who were chosen and those who were considered."
The 35-year-old Kuehne will be the elder statesman on the squad as the other nine range in age from 18 to 23 and either are still playing college golf or are recent graduates.
The Walker Cup features eight foursomes (alternate shot) and 16 singles matches. In 2005, the Unites States team picked up a one-point win to reclaim the cup and push its record in the event to 32-7-1.
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