Simon Thornton will make his second PGA Cup appearance for Great Britain and Ireland after he was given a captains pick for the K Club contest in October.
Thornton, the defending Irish PGA champion has been in excellent form this season and after foregoing the 2024 PGA Cup due to a dream date at the Irish Open in his home town of Newcastle at Royal County Down, he is excited to make a long awaited second appearance after playing in 2022.
“I enjoyed it immensely in 2022; I’d never played any team golf before, and it was so special, so it was tough to have to say no to going to the United States two years ago.”
The first five places on the GB&I team were determined through the PGA Professional Championship, with qualification based on performances across the 2025 and 2026 championships. Ashley Mansell, Harry Casey, Toby Hunt, Ben Amor and Gavin Hay secured automatic qualification by finishing among the leading players in the two-year standings.
Mansell strengthened his claim with victory in the 2026 Championship, having finished tied second in 2025, while Casey followed his 2025 title with a fourth place finish this year. Hunt, Amor and Hay all produced consistently strong performances across the two championships to earn their places in the team.
The sixth automatic spot is awarded through the Callaway Chrome Tour PGA Open Series, which combines players’ performances across the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
These standings form the basis of PGA Cup qualification and going into the final Open Series tournament, only James Freeman and Matthew Ford can mathematically finish top of those standings and claim the automatic place. As a result, PGA Cup Captain David Scott has confirmed that no matter which of the two players secures that spot, the other will occupy a Captain’s pick, meaning both are assured a place in the team.
Graeme Robertson and Gareth Davies were also chosen as the Captain’s picks, completing the team that will compete in County Kildare, Ireland, from 2-4 October.
Scott commented: “Selecting a PGA Cup team is never a straightforward task given the depth of talent we have within The PGA, but I believe the team we’ve assembled combines proven winners with players who have demonstrated their quality consistently over the last two years.
“Representing GB&I in the PGA Cup is a tremendous honour and I know every player will represent the Association with pride. Our American counterparts always offer a challenge, we know that, but we have a group that is more than capable of bringing the trophy home.”
The 2026 GB&I PGA Cup team in full:
David Scott (Captain)
Ashley Mansell (Clevedon Golf Club) – PGA in England & Wales (West)
Harry Casey (The Shire London) – PGA in England & Wales (East)
Toby Hunt (Whitchurch Golf Club) – PGA in England & Wales (West)
Ben Amor (Ogbourne Downs Golf Club) – PGA in England & Wales (West)
Gavin Hay (East Renfrewshire Golf Club) – PGA in Scotland
James Freeman (Rotherham Golf Club) – PGA in England & Wales (North)
Matthew Ford (GolfGearDirect) – PGA in England & Wales (South)
Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie Golf Club) – PGA in Scotland
Gareth Davies (Abbeydale Golf Club) – PGA in England & Wales (North)
Simon Thornton (STGolf) – PGA in Ireland
First played in 1973, the PGA Cup is a biennial contest between PGA Professionals from the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland and the PGA of America, with teams of 10 competing in foursomes, fourballs and singles matches in a similar format to the Ryder Cup. In 2024, the United States ran out 17.5 – 8.5 winners at Sunriver Resort in Oregon.
The K Club will make PGA Cup history this year as the first venue in Great Britain & Ireland to host the match on three occasions. As GB&I return to County Kildare, they will be looking to recreate the memorable 2005 triumph at the venue and reclaim the Llandudno International Trophy on home soil.
Richard Barker PGA, Executive Director – Business Development added, “Congratulations to all ten players who have earned the right to represent their Association in the 2026 PGA Cup.
“Qualification for this team requires a sustained period of consistency and every player should be proud of what they have achieved.
“This team draws on talent from right across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, competing together at The K Club, a venue with a rich PGA Cup history. David Scott has assembled a team with real depth and quality, giving us every reason to be confident heading into October.”
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