Tee time at the Old Course: Nick Gabrelcik becomes second UNF golfer to play in Walker Cup
Nick Gabrelcik keeps setting new standards for the University of North Florida golf program.
His latest accomplishment: being the first UNF player named to the U.S. team for the Walker Cup, the biennial amateur match-play competition between the United States and Great Britain/Ireland.
And he’ll be headed for the birthplace of golf: the matches will be at St. Andrews, Scotland, Sept. 2-3.
Gabrelcik, a rising senior at UNF, is the second Osprey player to be named to the Walker Cup. Kevin Phelan, a native of Ireland, who graduated from Nease, was named to the GBI/Ireland team in 2013 and had a 2-1 record, beating Max Homa in singles.
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"This is about the biggest honor for an amateur golfer,” UNF coach Scott Schroeder said. “I couldn't be more proud to see him accomplish this."
U.S. Am winner Dunlap leads team
Gabrelcik became the first three-time ASUN player of year in May and last week qualified for match play for the third year in a row in a U.S. Amateur. He was named to the team by the USGA’s International Team Selection Group and will play for captain Mike McCoy.
The other picks on Sunday were North Carolina players Austin Greaser and Dylan Menante, Virginia’s Ben James, Arizona State’s Preston Summerhays and career amateur Stewart Hagestad of Newport Beach, Calif.
Nick Dunlap, who won the U.S. Amateur 4 and 3 over Neal Shipley, Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent, North Carolina’s David Ford and Tennessee’s Caleb Surratt were previously named to the team.
Stanford senior Michael Thorbjornsen was an early pick on the team but withdrew last week because of a back injury.
Gabrelcik has match play chops
Gabrelcik won the Southern Amateur earlier this summer and has played on three NCAA Tournament teams. He is a three-time All-Southeast regional selection and earned the Phil Mickelson Award as the nation’s outstanding freshman in 2021.
Gabrelcik is a three-time player in the Palmer Cup, a match-play event for college golfers.
He is the 16th player with First Coast or South Georgia ties to play in the Walker Cup. The list includes major champions David Duval of Jacksonville, Davis Love III of St. Simons Island, Ga., and Brian Harman of St. Simons Island; past PGA Tour winners Billy Horschel of Ponte Vedra Beach, Len Mattiace of Ponte Vedra, Matt Every of Jacksonville Beach and Harris English of St. Simons Island; and three past U.S. Amateur winners, former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman, Steve Melnyk and Bob Dickson.
More recent Walker Cup members were Blayne Barber of Lake City (2011) and Bud Cauley of Jacksonville (2009).
The Walker Cup was started in 1922 by George Herbert Walker, the United States Golf Association president, the grandfather of former President George H. W. Bush and the great-grandfather of former President George W. Bush.
The U.S. leads the series 38-9-1 and has won the last three meetings.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: North Florida senior Nick Gabrelcik named to U.S. Walker Cup team
