JAMES BYRNE HEADS SCOTLAND’S EURO DEFENCE

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Banchory’s James Byrne, the beaten finalist in last week’s Amateur Championship, will headline a strong Scotland line-up bidding to defend the European Amateur Team Championship in Sweden next month from July 6 to 10.
The Scots overcame England in the final at Conwy GC in Wales last July to become World and European champions and this year’s six-man team will be looking to become the first Scotland side to defend the title since 1977, with a team which included amateur legends Charlie Green and Ian Hutcheon.
Byrne, who is now in the top 20 of the world amateur rankings, missed out on a place in last year’s side, but made his full Scotland debut alongside Richie Ramsay in the European bronze-medal winning team of 2007 at Western Gailes.
Colville Park’s Ross Kellett and Troon Welbeck’s Michael Stewart are the only members of last year’s team still in the side, with Gavin Dear, Wallace Booth, Paul O’Hara all turning making the switch to the paid ranks.
Kellett’s confidence will be boosted by a four-shot win in last weekend’s Tennant Cup – his first SGU Order of Merit success – while Stewart has returned from the United States in positive fashion with a seventh place finish in the St Andrews Links Trophy before reaching the third round of the match play stages in the Amateur Championship.
Philip McLean, joint runner-up in the St Andrews Links Trophy, makes his European Team Championship debut, as does Fraserburgh’s Kris Nicol who achieved second place finishes in both the Lytham Trophy and Irish Stroke Play Championship earlier this season. Both players helped the North East team to victory in last month’s Moneygate Scottish Area Team Championship at Kinross.
Greg Paterson, third in the recent Welsh Stroke Play Championship and one of seven Scots to qualify for the match-play stages at Muirfield last week, has been rewarded with his first European team inclusion, while Paterson’s fellow Fifer James White has been named reserve.
The championship takes place at Osterakers Golf Club in Sweden, with two rounds of stroke play qualifying determining the top flight of eight for the match play stages. Scotland has won the Championship on six occasions, while England lead the way with nine wins.
The Scotland team is sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management and TaylorMade-adidas Golf.
Full Team:
1. James Byrne (Banchory)
2. Ross Kellett (Colville Park)
3. Philip McLean (Peterhead)
4. Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh)
5. Greg Paterson (The New Club, St Andrews)
6. Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck)
Reserve : James White (Lundin)

Ross Duncan
Marketing and Sponsorship Manager
SCOTTISH GOLF UNION