Walker Cup hopefuls get a sneak

preview of British Amateur venue

FROM THE GOLFWEEK.COM WEBSITE
By ALISTAIR TAIT
Don’t be surprised if a player from the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup squad wins this year’s British Amateur Championship.
GB&I squad players are getting a sneak preview this week of Formby Golf Club, this year’s British Amateur Championship venue, as they take part in a Walker Cup team training session.
Twenty-three players from the 28-man squad have gathered at Formby, Lancashire as GB&I Walker Cup captain Colin Dalgleish and the Walker Cup selection committee try to identify the eight players most likely to make the trip to Merion in September (12-13) to face the United States.
This is the third GB&I squad session in the run-up to the match. Potential members made a site visit to Merion last year, while an earlier session was held at Kingsbarns, Fife. Only the players currently playing college golf in the United States will be absent from Formby. All those based in the British Isles will be in attendance.
Veteran Welshman Nigel Edwards is the only player who played in the last match who has made the trip to Formby. The seven other members of the 2007 GB&I team that lost at Royal County Down have turned professional.
“We knew the guys playing college golf wouldn’t be able to make it, but I’m pleased to say all those based over here have agreed to come,” Dalgleish said. “It will be good for us to talk through our Walker Cup plans with them. These sessions are important in helping build a team ethic.”
The GB&I players will have played 36 holes before they dine together as a team this evening (April 28) before departing for Royal Lytham & St. Annes to prepare for weekend Lytham Trophy, the first “major” of the British men's amateur season.
“The fact the session is at Formby is bonus for the guys because of the Amateur being held there this year. We have a strong squad. We had a few who went to (European) Tour school last year to try for their cards that we might have lost to the professional game," said skipper Dalgleish.
"Most are back which is good news for the match. The only notable exception is Callum Macaulay, so we have really good depth available to us. We have a lot of talent in the squad, guys who have won tournaments and played a lot of international golf for their countries. So we are looking strong at this point.”
The eight-man GB&I team will be announced in August following the English, Welsh and Scottish Amateur national championships.
The squad of players being considered for the GB&I Walker Cup team is:
Todd Adcock (England).
Wallace Booth (Scotland).
Paul Cutler (Ireland).
Gavin Dear (Scotland).
Alan Dunbar (Ireland).
Nigel Edwards (Wales).
Ben Enoch (Wales/East Tennessee State Univesity)*
Rhys Enoch (Wales/East Tennessee State University)*
Tommy Fleetwood (England).
Charlie Ford (England)
Luke Goddard (England)
Matt Haines (England)
Sam Hutsby (England)
Niall Kearney (Ireland)
Dara Lernihan (Ireland)
Shane Lowry (Ireland)
Steven McEwan (Scotland)
Keir McNicoll (Scotland)
Paul O’Hara (Scotland)
Chris Paisley (England/Tennessee University)*
Eddie Pepperell (England)
Tom Sherreard (England/Georgia State University)*
Michael Stewart (Scotland/East Tennessee State University)*
Steven Uzzell (England)
Simon Ward (Ireland/University of Central Florida)*
Ben Westgate (England)
Dale Whitnell (England)
Gordon Yates (Scotland)

*Indicates not participating in squad session due to college commitments.