Mike McCoy during the flag raising ceremony at the 2015 Walker Cup at Royal Lytham & St. Annes G.C. in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015. (Copyright USGA/John Mummert)

Iowa’s Mike McCoy will lead the 2023 U.S. Walker Cup Team as Captain the USGA announced this morning. McCoy, who participated in the Walker Cup in 2015 as a player following his win at the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, will captain the Walker Cup Team at the Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland, Sept. 2-3, 2023.

The Walker Cup Match is a 10-man amateur team competition between the USA and Great Britain and Ireland. The birthplace of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrews, has hosted eight previous Walker Cups, more than any other venue.

The news comes on the heels of another Iowan, Zach Johnson, being named as Captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup Team in 2023. As previously reported, PGA of America President Jim Richerson recently announced that Johnson will serve as Captain for the 44th Ryder Cup, which will be played September 25-October 1, 2023, at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy.

“Quite a deal, huh,” McCoy said. “It’s very exciting. I had to pinch myself when I got the call. I knew I was under consideration, but you never know. There are a lot of worthy candidates (for Captain). I am just honored for this opportunity and very fortunate.”

McCoy joins Dr. Ed Updegraff, originally from Boone, as the second Iowan to captain the Walker Cup Team. Dr. Updegraff was the 1975 Walker Cup Captain and was selected to the team as a player three times. The 1975 Walker Cup was also hosted at the Old Course at St. Andrews, when the USA defeated GB&I, 15½-8½, led by future U.S. Open champions Jerry Pate and Curtis Strange. .

“It’s a fairytale stuff when you start to think about it,” McCoy said of being a Walker Cup Captain from Iowa. “I am looking forward to getting to know these young players we will take over there. I just want it to be a great experience for them. That’s a big part of the job – make sure it’s a memorable time. It’s an honor to play for your country and that’s the message I am going to try and convey.”

An 11-time Iowa Golf Association Player of the Year, McCoy was a collegiate golfer at Wichita State University and has competed in 65 USGA championships, including 20 U.S. Amateurs.

“We’ll put together the best team we can and competes hard over there,” McCoy Said. “We’ll try to keep the Walker Cup in the U.S.”