NEWS RELEASE FROM SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Grant Forrest, the new Scottish Amateur champion, has immediately been rewarded for his success at Royal Dornoch after being handed a place in the Scotland team to contest the Home Internationals on home soil next week.
The 19-year-old from Craigielaw, who defeated Richard Docherty of Bearsden 9 and 7 in Saturday’s final, has been given a selector’s pick for the 11-man side aiming for glory in Great Britain and Ireland’s premier amateur team event at Glasgow Gailes Links from next Wednesday (August 15 to 17).
Forrest is more than happy to cut short a family holiday to Turkey to compete for the first time in the annual battle with England, Ireland and Wales in Ayrshire. The East Lothian player, whose emotional win in the SGU’s flagship event came just over three weeks after the death of his father, Graeme, said: “My aim has always been to make one of the Men’s teams. It’s the icing on the cake.”
Forrest, whose two national boys’ title wins came in Ayrshire at Largs and West Kilbride, will now hope to lead Scotland to a first triumph in the Home Internationals since victory in Wales six years ago.
After The Newlands Trophy last month, the top four on the SGU Men’s Order of Merit had already qualified automatically for team debuts – Ross Bell, Matthew Clark, Scott Borrowman and Paul Ferrier.
British amateur championship semi-finalist Jack McDonald had also qualified by virtue of being among the top four Scots on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and being placed inside the top 15 on the Order of Merit.
Downfield’s Bell is the current leader of the Order of Merit after a hugely consistent season which saw him go close to winning the Scottish stroke play title. His debut call-up caps a double celebration, coming the day before his 24th birthday tomorrow.
Clark of Kilmacolm has also impressed, winning the Newlands and finishing second at the Tennant Cup in June.
Former Scottish youths and past national Under-16s champion Borrowman (Dollar) has posted four top-10 finishes, while Baberton’s Ferrier and McDonald of Kilmarnock (Barassie) notably reached the semi-finals of the British amateur championship at Royal Troon. McDonald went on to play all four rounds of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open on The European Tour after his invite to Castle Stuart.
With McDonald fulfilling the automatic selection criteria from the WAGR – Ferrier and Clark did also – the selectors have picked six other players, with Brian Soutar (Leven GS), Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie), Paul Shields (Kirkhill), James White (Lundin) and Fraser McKenna (Balmore) joining Forrest.
James Ross (Royal Burgess) has been named as first reserve.
Soutar, the third highest-ranked Scot in the WAGR, won the South African Amateur Championship earlier in the year to underline his international match play credentials.
Shields, like White a member of the current Great Britain and Ireland squad, posted top-30 finishes in the Lytham Trophy and Irish Stroke Play, while the ever-consistent Robertson was third in the St Andrews Links Trophy and played a key role in Europe’s Palmer Cup win.
McKenna is a two-time winner on the domestic circuit in 2012, claiming the Champion of Champions and The Battle Trophy.
Only Robertson, Shields, Soutar and White have been capped at Home Internationals level before, but National Coach Ian Rae does not believe that will prove a barrier to success.
Rae said: “It’s been the toughest selection ever, with so many players putting in good performances. There will be many good players who have been left disappointed.
“It’s a strong team and the selection criteria left everyone knowing what they had to do. With so many players turning professional last year, we were always going to have new caps which is great.”
Each Home Internationals team is represented by the leading 11 amateur players in their respective countries, playing Ryder Cup-style match play in a round robin format. The matches get underway on Wednesday morning next week at 7.30am with Scotland facing Ireland on the opening day. Entry to the event is free for spectators.
The Scotland team is sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management and TaylorMade-adidas Golf.
Scotland's Home Internationals team
(club and age):
Ross Bell (Downfield, 23)
Scott Borrowman (Dollar, 25)
Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm, 30)
Paul Ferrier (Baberton, 23)
Grant Forrest (Craigielaw, 19)
Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock (Barassie), 19)
Fraser McKenna (Balmore, 21)
Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie, 24)
Paul Shields (Kirkhill, 21)
Brian Soutar (Leven GS, 28)
James White (Lundin, 24)
1st reserve:
James Ross (Royal Burgess, 22)
Labels: Amateur Men
