Photographing the 2026 PGA Cup at The K Club

Last month, I had the privilege of serving as one of the official photographers for Team Great Britain & Ireland at the 2026 PGA Cup at The K Club. The assignment saw me covering the event for for The PGA, the PGA of America, and Irish Golfer. It became a week I will remember this week inside the ropes for both the golf and the people.

On the Palmer South Course, GB&I claimed their first PGA Cup victory since 2017, beating the USA by a record-breaking 16½–9½. Being there to photograph that achievement was special, but having spent the week with the team made the winning moment mean considerably more.

Captain David Scott and the staff from The PGA made me feel part of the team throughout. As a photographer, that welcome makes a real difference. You are there to do a job, but over several days you also get to know the people in front of the lens and become invested in how their week unfolds.

My coverage took in the practice rounds, Tuesday’s welcome drinks, Wednesday morning’s official team photograph and individual player portraits, and Thursday’s opening ceremony, alongside the competition itself. That variety gave me the opportunity to capture more than the shots and scores. There was a whole week’s story to tell, with the formal occasions and time away from competition just as much a part of it as the golf.

The team photograph was a particularly important part of that record. At the time, it captured the players and captain ahead of the contest. By Sunday, it was a photograph of a team that had delivered a record-breaking result, with every player contributing at least a point.

Following the same group throughout the week gave the competitive rounds that added sense of familiarity. Scotland’s Graeme Robertson finished with five wins from five matches, while GB&I remained unbeaten across all five sessions. From behind the camera, there was plenty to document as those individual performances became part of a collective achievement.

The moment that secured the cup came when Toby Hunt holed a three-foot par putt on the 15th to go three up with three holes remaining. It guaranteed the crucial half-point needed to reach 13½ points and put the result beyond the Americans. He went on to win his match 3&2 over Brandon Bingaman.

Being there with the team and David Scott as victory was confirmed was the highlight of my week. After photographing the preparations, portraits and competition, this was the moment when it all came together. The significance was in the reactions as much as the result, particularly for a captain whose pride in his players was clear.

There was still another milestone to come. Ben Amor’s halved match with Ryan Lenahan brought GB&I to 16½ points, surpassing their previous best of 16 from the 2017 victory. It gave the celebrations a place in the competition’s history as well as providing a memorable finish to the week’s photography.

Looking back through a week like that, the winning images naturally stand out. But they mean more alongside the photographs that came before them: the players preparing on the course, the portraits, the team gathered together before a competitive ball had been struck. Having the opportunity to document that full journey was what made this assignment so rewarding.

My thanks to John Shortt and Irish Golfer for coordinating the assignment, and to The PGA and the PGA of America. Above all, thank you to David Scott, the players and the staff from The PGA for making me feel so welcome. It was a privilege to be part of the week and to help capture a historic victory for Great Britain & Ireland.