ONLY ONE IRISHMAN ON WALKER CUP TEAM
Stuart Grehan is the only Irishman to make the ten man GB&I Walker Cup team announced this morning for the matches to be held at Lahinch Golf Club on September 5 and 6.
Grehan secured his return to the team, which he played in last year at Cypress Point, when he won The Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool in June.
Recently crowned Irish Amateur Close Champion Thomas Higgins of Roscommon has been named first reserve, while David Howard of Fota Island is second reserve.
Along with Grehan, five other members of the team that competed in the Walker Cup at Cypress Point last year return for GB&I, including Connor Graham, who will make his third successive appearance in the match. Eliot Baker, Luke Poulter, Niall Sheils Donegan and Tyler Weaver also feature for the second successive match, while Ben Bolton, Sam Easterbrook, Josh Hill and Jack Whaley will make their Walker Cup debuts.
Dean Robertson will captain GB&I for a third time is happy with his mix of players and said, “It is a tremendous honour to captain Great Britain and Ireland again and I’m excited by the team we have selected for the match at Lahinch.”
“Playing at Lahinch will make this a particularly special Walker Cup. We know there will be fantastic support for the team in Ireland and our players will be determined to give those supporters plenty to get behind.”
The top five eligible players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®, along with The Amateur and US Amateur Champion were automatically selected with the balance being picked by the Captain to complete the team of ten.
The GB&I team:
* Stuart Grehan, Ireland, County Louth, 33
* Eliot Baker, England, Tiverton, 23
* Ben Bolton, England, Enville, 19
* Sam Easterbrook, England, Olton, 21
* Connor Graham, Scotland, Blairgowrie, 19
* Josh Hill, England, Fox Den, 22
* Luke Poulter, England, Woburn, 22
* Niall Sheils Donegan, Scotland, Meadow Club, 21
* Tyler Weaver, England, Bury St Edmunds, 21
* Jack Whaley, England, Rotherham, 22
Reserves:
1. Thomas Higgins, Ireland, Roscommon, 23
2. David Howard, Ireland, Fota Island, 27
Photos: by the R&A.