Dear and Booth have key role in GB&I

bid to regain Walker Cup at Merion

FROM THE ABERDEEN PRESS AND JOURNAL WEBSITE
Colin Dalgleish, the GB&I captain, is expecting the Scottish duo of Gavin Dear and Wallace Booth to play a key role in the Walker Cup match with the US, which gets under way at Merion, Pennsylvania, tomorrow.
Dear, 25, and Booth, 24, have both been in dominant form for Scotland in team competition over the past year and have driven their country to both the world and European amateur titles.
Now, Dalgleish is confident the Perthshire pair can turn on the style and help thwart America’s assault on a third Walker Cup win on the spin.
“Wallace has a great charisma about him,” said Dalgleish. “When he’s on form and he’s out there performing to the best of his ability, his opponents can find him impossible to deal with.
“Gavin is the oldest player in the team and I’d like to think he can play a leading role. He’s a powerful, solid player and he’s grown immeasurably as a golfer with the confidence he gained from helping Scotland win the world title.”
The pairings for tomorrow morning’s opening session of foursomes ties will be unveiled later today and Dear, the elder statesman of a GB&I side which has an average age of just 21, is looking to stamp his seniority on the contest.
He said: “With the experiences I have gained over the past year, I’d like to think the younger players will look at me as a leader. I like to lead from the front.”