Several cases of food poisoning between teams from the United States, Great Britain and Ireland have hampered preparations for this week’s Walker Cup.

The 48th edition of the biennial competition will take place on May 8-9 at the Seminole Golf Club in Florida. Live on Sky Sports, The U.S. team is looking for its third consecutive win since its 15.5-10.5 win in 2019.

24 hours before the start of the event, the USGA and R & A issued a statement confirming an “existing medical problem” and many players were experiencing symptoms in the coming days.

The statement said: “Over the past 24 hours, several players from the GB&I and USA teams have sought gastrointestinal treatment and are currently being monitored by medical professionals at the team’s hotel.

“All players on both teams tested negative in their daily screenings and COVID-19 was rejected as a reason. Players followed strict health and safety guidelines established as a code of conduct for the game.

“The health and safety of the players and everyone involved in the game is our priority and we are closely monitoring the situation. For now, it is not expected that there will be a disruption in the schedule of matches for the two-year competition.

“We will provide additional updates as needed. “

Locals love to win a match with one of their top ten players in the world’s top 20 players in amateur gaming, while world number 12 Alex Fitzpatrick is GB & I’s highest ranked player.

Four foursomes with four singles matches and 10 singles on Sunday starts playing on Saturday. A total of 26 points are available, and a team must score at least 13.5 points to win the game.

Who will win the Walker Cup? Watch Sky Sports live throughout the weekend. Live coverage starts at Sky Sports Mix on Saturdays from 3pm and Sky Sports Golf from 4pm, followed by the second session live from 9:30 pm.