The selectors have been watching closely all year and will continue into August, and GB&I Walker Cup captain Nigel Edwards will have two more training camps before Royal Aberdeen, but every candidate for the team that will be charged with getting the trophy back from the Americans knows they have the chance to play their way in at the Amateur Championship at Hillside this week.
Bryan McElhinney defeated Scotland’s John Gallagher in the final that year, and the last time the trophy went north of the border was the previous year when Forfar’s Stuart Wilson won on the Old Course at St Andrews.
Since then France’s Julien Guerrier, Drew Weaver of the USA, the Dutchman Reiner Saxton, Italy’s Matteo Manassero and Jeong have claimed the title.
Gary Wolstenholme’s win at Ganton as far back as 1991 is the last time an Englishman won the amateur on home soil.
Scottish entrants: Ross Bell (Donwfield), San Binning (Ranfurly Castle), Mark Bookless (Sandyhills), James Byrne (Banchory), Scott Crichton (Aberdour), Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar), Michael Daily (Erskine), John Duff (Newmachar), Adam Dunton (McDonald), Paul Ferrier (Baberton), Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh), Grant Forrest (Craigielaw), Scott Gibson (Southerness), Neil Henderson (Glen), James Hendrick (Pollok), Ross Kellett (Colville Park), Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen), Peter Latimer (St Andrews New), David Law (Hazlehead), Steven Maxwell (Windyhill), Jordan McColl (Scotscraig), Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), Fraser McKenna (Balmore), Philip McLean (Peterhead), Fraser Moore (Glenbervie), Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh), Steven Neilson (Dunbar), Conor O’Neil (Pollok), Greg Paterson (St Andrews New), Steven Rennie (Drumpellier), Chris Robb (Inchmarlo), Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie), James Ross (Royal Burgess), Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth), Paul Shields (Kirkhill), Steven Spiers (Portpatrick), Brian Soutar (Leven GS), Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs), Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), Andrew Wallace (Glenbervie), James White (Lundin)
On Monday, a total of 288 competitors from 35 nations Begin two days of qualifying over the course that adjoins Open venue Royal Birkdale, just south of Southport, and over nearby Hesketh attempting to make the matchplay draw for European golf’s premier amateur tournament and the prize of immediate entry into this year’s Open and next year’s Masters for the winner.
Equally, a victory for home-based players will ensure a call-up for the GB&I side as no amateur champion has ever been omitted in a Walker Cup side.
This is a sizeable carrot for the strong Scottish contingent in west Lancashire this week after a disappointing domestic season following all the promise of the spring.
Then, a Scottish training camp in South Africa produced two top titles in the cap for Michael Stewart and David Law, two players considered leading candidates for GB&I selection.
Stewart, who added the South African Amateur title to his Scottish crown won last year at Gullane, had quit his course at East Tennessee State University in the USA to concentrate on making the team for Royal Aberdeen, and appeared vindicated.
However a tendinitis problem in his wrist has meant the 20-year-old has played only sparingly at home although he returned to action at last week’s St Andrews Links Trophy as a tune-up for the amateur.
Scotland’s other leading candidate James Byrne, who lost last year’s amateur final at Muirfield to Korean Jin Jeong, makes his first appearance of the season on this side of the Atlantic having played in the NCAA finals for Arizona State last month.Victorious returnHaving completed his studies, the Banchory player will be aiming for as strong a run as last year, when again he had only just returned from the US.
Law, who has struggled in strokeplay events but is one of the best match-players in the country, will be a tough nut to crack if he gets into the matchplay draw, but he and fellow north-easterner Kris Nicol -as well as Colville Park’s Ross Kellett-have to have strong weeks if they are to have a chance of staying in the next training squad and staying in contention for the team.
Among the other Scots in the draw are a strong group from Fife, led by international squad members Greg Paterson and Lundin’s James White, but with Brian Soutar (Leven GS) and Peter Latimer (St Andrews New) also in decent form.
The international flavour of the amateur is illustrated by the fact that a home nations player has not won the title since 2005, when the champion-ship was held over the fence from this week’s venue at Royal Birkdale.
Continued with entrant list…