Aug. 6, 2007

DALLAS (SMU) - SMU golfer Colt Knost is among the first eight players picked for this year's U.S. Walker Cup team, the USGA announced Monday. Knost, who just completed his playing career at SMU, won the 2007 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and shot a second-round 64 in April at the PGA Tour's EDS Byron Nelson Championship and made the cut. He was also a PING Division I All-American and the Conference USA Golfer of the Year in 2007.

Knost will be joined by Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk, Trip Kuehne, Jamie Lovemark, Webb Simpson, Dustin Johnson and Jonathan Moore.

U.S. Walker Cup captain George Marucci and USGA executive committee member Steve Smyers called Knost Sunday afternoon.

The remaining two spots will be picked after the U.S. Amateur, which will be held Aug. 20-26 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco and this year's Walker Cup Match will be played Sept. 8-9 at Royal County Down in Newcastle, Ireland. The U.S. won in 2005, 12 1/2-11 1/2.