MATCH AT BARSEBACK, SWEDEN ON AUGUST 29-30

 FIVE SCOTS NAMED IN GB AND I PRELIM

SQUAD FOR ST ANDREWS TROPHY
NEWS RELEASE FROM THE R and A
 A 21-player Great Britain and Ireland squad has been announced for the St Andrews Trophy match at Barsebäck Golf and Country Club in Sweden on August 29 and 30.

The nine-man team that will face the Continent of Europe in the biennial match will be named in mid-August.

Four players will bring valuable Walker Cup experience to the squad including Matthew Fitzpatrick, who recently made his Masters Tournament debut, and Rhys Pugh who played on the GB and I side in both 2011 at Royal Aberdeen and in 2013 at the National Golf Links of America in Southampton, New York.

Greg Eason, who is currently third in the World Amateur Rankings, and reigning European Amateur champion Ashley Chesters bring depth to the squad, along with talented young players Sam Horsfield and 2013 Scottish Boys champion Bradley Neil.

Nigel Edwards will captain the team for the third time as GB and I look to reclaim the trophy after the Continent of Europe’s narrow 12½ – 11½ victory at Portmarnock in 2012.

“We have announced a strong squad for this year’s match,” said Edwards, a playing member of the victorious St Andrews Trophy teams in 2002, 2004 and 2006.

“The final selection of the team for the St Andrews Trophy match will be dependent on performances and, therefore, players who are not named in this squad have every chance of playing their way on to the team.  

"I am confident that the team we select will mount a real challenge for the trophy in Sweden.”

The St Andrews Trophy is the biennial men’s match which will be played alongside the annual boys’ match, the Jacques Leglise Trophy, at Barsebäck on August 29-30.

 The St Andrews Trophy has been played alternately on British/Irish and mainland European courses since 1956. Great Britain and Ireland have won on 24 occasions and the Continent of Europe has won five times, including the 2010 and 2012 matches.

The 2014 GB and I squad is:

Tomasz Anderson (Brocket Hall) – Welwyn Garden City, England

Ashley Chesters (Hawkstone Park) – Wem, England 

Greg Eason (Kirby Muxloe) – Leicester, England

Ryan Evans (Wellingborough) – Wellingborough, England

Matthew Fitzpatrick (Hallamshire) – Sheffield, England

Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) – North Berwick, Scotland

Sam Horsfield (Davenport, USA) – Manchester, England

Paul Howard (Southport and Ainsdale) – Southport, England

Jack Hume (Naas) – Naas, Ireland

Gary Hurley (West Waterford) – Aglish, Ireland

Nick Marsh (Huddersfield) – Elland, England

Jimmy Mullen (Royal North Devon) – Devon, England

Gavin Moynihan (The Island) - Dublin, Ireland

Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) – Troon, Scotland

Dermot McElroy (Ballymena) – Ballymena, Northern Ireland

Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie) – Perthshire, Scotland

Rhys Pugh (Pontypridd) – Pontypridd, Wales

James Ross (Royal Burgess) – Edinburgh, Scotland

Ewan Scott (St Andrews) – St Andrews, Scotland

Jordan Smith (Bowood) – Calne, England

Ben Taylor (Walton Heath) – Leatherhead, England

PEN PICTURES OF THE PLAYERS  

ON GB AND I SHORT LEET

Tomasz Anderson (Brocket Hall), age 21 – Anderson reached the semi-finals of the 2013 English Amateur Championship at Frilford Heath and won his fourth college tournament title in March 2014.  

Ashley Chesters (Hawkstone Park), age 24  – Chesters won the 2013 European Amateur to secure a place in the 2014 Open Championship and was part of the winning European team against Asia-Pacific at the 2014 Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy in India.

Greg Eason (Kirby Muxloe), age 21 – Eason is currently ranked third in the world in the WORLD AMATEUR GOLF RANKING™ and has earned seven individual collegiate victories.

Ryan Evans (Wellingborough), age 27 – Evans won the 2014 Lake Macquarie International and Avondale Medal and was a member of the winning European team at the Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy.

Matthew Fitzpatrick (Hallamshire), age 19 - Fresh from his Masters debut, Fitzpatrick is currently ranked number two in the world on the WAGR™ listing. He earned the Silver Medal as the leading amateur at the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield before winning the 2013 US Amateur Championship and representing GB&I at the 2013 Walker Cup.

Grant Forrest (Cragielaw), age 20 – Forrest made his Open Championship debut at Muirfield in 2013 after winning the local qualifying event at Dunbar and is a former Scottish Amateur, Scottish Boys and Scottish Under-16s champion.  

Sam Horsfield (Davenport, USA), age 17 – Horsfield became the youngest winner in the history of the Florida State Amateur Championship in 2013 and was the leading qualifier at both the 2013 US Junior Amateur and US Amateur Public Links.

Paul Howard (Southport & Ainsdale), age 23 – Howard won the 2014 South American Amateur Championship in Colombia in January and recorded top ten finishes in the Lytham Trophy and the Finnish Amateur in 2012.

Jack Hume (Naas), age 20 – Hume finished fourth in the individual competition at the 2014 European Nations Cup in Spain and in 2010 became only the second player to win all four Irish provincial boys titles in the same year.

Gary Hurley (West Waterford), age 21 – Hurley won the 2013 R&A Foundation Scholars Tournament on the Old Course in St Andrews and earned a place on the European Palmer Cup team.

Nick Marsh (Huddersfield), age 19 – The England International finished tied ninth at the 2014 South American Amateur Championship and runner-up at the 2014 Portugese Amateur Stroke Play.

Jimmy Mullen (Royal North Devon), age 21 – Qualified for the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield at Local Final Qualifying in North Berwick and made the cut at the Championship finishing tied 75^th.

Gavin Moynihan (The Island), age 19 - Moynihan represented GB&I at the 2013 Walker Cup. He was the youngest ever winner of the Irish Amateur Open in 2012 and finished runner-up in 2013.

Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), age 21 – McDonald reached the semi-finals of the Amateur Championship in 2012 and played in the Scottish Open and the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles before being named 2012 Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year.

Dermot McElroy (Ballymena), age 21 – McElroy represented Europe at the 2014 Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy and finished runner-up at the 2014 South African Amateur Open Stroke Play Championship.

Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie), age 18 – Neil won the 2013 Scottish Boys Championship before playing in the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in St Andrews and helped Scotland to victory at the 2014 European Nations Cup at Sotogrande.

Rhys Pugh (Pontypridd), age 20 – Pugh represented GB&I in the 2011 and 2013 Walker Cup Matches and played in the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield after winning the 2012 European Amateur Championship.

James Ross (Royal Burgess), age 24 – Ross was named 2013 Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year after breaking into the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking™.

Ewan Scott (St Andrews), age 18 – Scott topped the Scottish Hydro Boys’ Order of Merit in 2012 after winning the Scottish Youths Championship in 2012 and he reached the semi-finals of the South African Amateur Championship in 2013.

Jordan Smith (Bowood), age 21 – Smith represented GB&I at the 2013 Walker Cup Match and won the Brabazon Trophy at Formby Golf Club in 2013.

Ben Taylor (Walton Heath), age 21 – Taylor was part of the GB&I team in the 2012 St Andrews Trophy and was a member of the European side at the 2013 Palmer Cup.