Americans already short favourites

The view down the fairway at the first hole at Balgownie with the North Sea and Aberdeen Bay in the background (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

to win Walker Cup at Balgownie

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
What are the odds on United States making it four wins in a row over Great Britain and Ireland in next September 9 and 10's Walker Cup match over the Royal Aberdeen links at Balgownie?
Fairly short, I would think, given that there are 33 Americans and only four British and Irish players in the top 50 of this week's updated RandA World Amateur Golf Rankings.
The top 10, of course, is overloaded with US-born college players.
Banchory's James Byrne, who will have completed his four years at Arizona State University, Tempe by next autumn, remains the highest British and Irish player in 17th position for the second week in a row.
England's Matthew Nixon, who won the British boys' championship over at Balgownie two or three years ago, is No 20, again "no change." Nixon might well have turned professional before the end of this year. Playing as an amateur, he has qualified for the European Tour Final Qualifying School, teeing off at PGA Catalunya, Spain on Saturday.
Irishman Paul Cutler also stays where he was last week, in the No 21 berth, and the only other Brit in the top 50 is former British boys champion Tom Lewis from London in the No 39 position.
Lewis's great effort in almost beating the pros Down Under in the New South Wales Open - he lost in a three-way play-off - saw him rise 11 places in the WAGR.
Scottish champion Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) is the only other Scot apart from Byrne in the top 100. He has gone up one place in a week to No 63.
Ross Kellett (Colville Park), so long a fixture in the leading 100, dropped down to No 136 last week and has risen one spot to 135 in the update.
Anglo-Scot Stuart Ballingall from Norwich, a first-year student at Missouri University, is the fourth highest Scot in 174th place, a rise of one place, and Fraserburgh's Walker Cup team contender, Kris Nicol, has also gone up one to No. 175.
To summarise, there are only two Scots ranked among the world's top 100 amateurs and another three between 101 and 200.
Is that about as much as we can expect from our comparatively small population of golfers or should we have more?
E-mail Colin@scottishgolfview.com with YOUR view.

WALKER CUP RESULTS IN RECENT YEARS
2009 - United States won at Merion.
2007 - United States won at Royal Co. Down, N Ireland.
2005 - United States won at Chicago.
2003 - Great Britain and Ireland won at Ganton, Yorkshire.
2001 - Great Britain and Ireland won at Sea Island.
1999 - Great Britain and Ireland won at Nairn.