NEIL, FORREST, ROBB SCOTLAND'S
TRIO FOR WORLD TEAM CH/SHIP
NEWS RELEASE FROM SGU
The
trio of Bradley Neil, Grant Forrest and Chris Robb have been chosen to
represent Scotland at next month’s World Amateur Team Championship in
Japan, bidding to emulate the
historic success of their countrymen in 2008.
Staged
in the city of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture from 11 – 14 September,
the biennial 72-hole strokeplay event is one of the most prestigious in
amateur golf and the three
Scots will be aiming to add The Eisenhower Trophy to the European
Nations Cup won in March in Sotogrande.
Six
years ago in Adelaide, Australia, Scotland were on top of the world
after brilliantly claiming a first-ever world title victory thanks to
the endeavours of Wallace Booth,
Gavin Dear and Callum Macaulay as George Crawford captained his side to
an emphatic nine-stroke victory over a USA side featuring Rickie Fowler
and Billy Horschel.
The
Scots also put up a stout defence in 2010, with James Byrne, Michael
Stewart and Ross Kellett finishing fifth, before there was
disappointment in Turkey two years ago as
the team shared 44th.
Other notable recent winners include Joost Luiten
(Netherlands, 2006) and Romain Wattel (France, 2010).
It
is now the turn of Neil (Blairgowrie), Forrest (Craigielaw) and Robb
(Meldrum House) to go for glory, with Neil earning automatic selection
as the top-ranked Scot on the
World Amateur Golf Ranking at No. 7 and Forrest and Robb, 15th and 85th respectively, earning the two selectors picks.
Having
posted seven top-10 finishes already in 2014, Neil highlighted his
young career by becoming the first Scot in a decade to win The Amateur
Championship at Royal Portrush
in June.
Former
Scottish Boys champion Neil, who also won the key play-off for
Scotland’s Nations Cup success, went on to play in last month’s Open
Championship before earning a place
in Europe’s Junior Ryder Cup side for the contest against the US over
his home course in late September.
Forrest,
the 2012 Scottish Amateur champion, has continued his form in 2014,
with the University of San Diego student notching a third win on the US
college circuit.
On
his return to UK soil, Forrest claimed one of the most prestigious
amateur titles when he emerged triumphant in a play-off against
team-mate Neil in the St Andrews Links
Trophy in June, before helping Europe win the Palmer Cup. Forrest is
also a past winner of the Scottish Boys and Scottish Under-16s titles.
Robb,
meanwhile, has enjoyed a purple patch this summer, claiming three
titles on the SGU Men’s Order of Merit, the East of Scotland
Championship, Cameron Corbett Vase and
the SGU’s flagship event, the Fairstone Scottish Amateur, where he
defeated Graeme Robertson in the final.
The
former Boys cap made his Men’s debut in last week’s Home
Internationals, building on a year which saw him graduate from the
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with
All-American honours following a closing round of 64 in the NCAA
Championships.
The
Prince Hotel Resort’s Iriyama and Oshitate courses will be used for the
World Amateur Team Championship in Japan, the country having previously
served as tournament host
in 1962.
The
event is contested over 72 holes in stroke play format – two scores
from three count for the team each day – with the Scots seeking to
shine.
National
Coach Ian Rae, who will accompany the players in Japan, said: “We have a
really strong team and they are capable of doing very well in The
Eisenhower Trophy this year.
The trio selected are all good at shooting low numbers when required.
“A lot
of very good players have just failed to make the team and this
demonstrates the strength of the team and the form of those chosen.
“The
performances of all three players selected speak for themselves,
especially those of Bradley and Grant, with Chris catching our eye
throughout this season, having finished
his time in the US strongly and then winning three times domestically,
notably the Fairstone Scottish Amateur.”
Jack
Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have both featured in winning Eisenhower
Trophy sides in the past, while Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Francesco
Molinari and Martin Kaymer have
also competed.
The Scotland team, sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management and TaylorMade-adidas Golf, is:
·
Grant Forrest (Craigielaw), 21
·
Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie), 18
·
Chris Robb (Meldrum House), 23
Labels: Amateur Men
