Rupert De Lacy Staunton has worn the navy jacket with the logo "R&A" and the word "selector" inscribed in red lettering over his heart for the past eight years. This week, on a course moulded from the dunes, marshlands and forests of south Georgia in America's deep south, a team he has helped to pick will attempt to become the first representing Britain and Ireland to retain the Walker Cup. Not only that, but it will be Staunton's swan-song as an R&A selector.

History, and the record books, would indicate that the 10-player Britain and Ireland team face a daunting assignment. On only one previous occasion - at Peachtree, in 1989, has a visiting team managed to beat the Americans on home soil - and, yet, Staunton, remains upbeat that this team has what is required to keep the trophy.

He is Ireland's representative on a selection committee that, in the past, has been perceived - at least amongst the Irish golfing fraternity - as leaning towards players from the other "Home Unions" when it came to 50-50 decisions. Since the Walker Cup was held in 1922 (this is its 38th staging), less than 30 Irish players have been honoured with selection. The inclusion of Michael Hoey and Graeme McDowell on this year's team actually brings the number of Irish Walker Cup players to 28.

In particular, especially in relation to the past decade or so, there was a body of opinion which felt Garth McGimpsey did not get his fair share of selections - he played in the 1985, '89 and '91 matches - and, in fact, that 1991 staging at Portmarnock was the last time that Ireland had three players on a team. Pβdraig Harrington and Paul McGinley also played that year.

Since then, Ireland has had two players in Royal Portcawl in 1995 (Harrington and Jody Fanagan), two at Quaker Ridge in 1997 (Richie Coughlan and Keith Nolan) and one at Nairn in 1999 (Paddy Gribben).

Another two this year would seem to suggest that is as good as Ireland can hope for, unless there is an especially talented lot around at any one given time.

"When I was a player I must admit that I always felt that maybe Irish players did not get the representation that they deserved," admitted de Lacy Staunton, "but I don't think that way any longer. I think Irish players are fairly treated by the selectors, and that they get a fair crack of the whip.

"Take this year. I believe we have two very strong players in Michael and Graeme, and both played their way onto the team.

"But there was no one else you could put in. Noel (Fox) was in with a very good shout but he simply didn't play well enough this season. I think that two players is a fair representation."

Staunton's remit is not simply to look after the interest of Irish players, but to ensure that the best possible team is selected. As such, his travels, for each of the last eight years in his role, have taken him to all the major championships in Ireland as well as those in Britain (he attended six tournaments there this season) and to the main championships in Europe, where British and Irish players are in action.

"It's a demanding position, with a lot of commitment to travelling - but I have enjoyed every minute of it over the past eight years and I will be sorry when it is over."

Indeed, his record since taking over the position of GUI representative is an impressive one: Britain and Ireland won the Walker Cup in 1995 and again in 1999, while also claiming the Eisenhower Trophy (world amateur team championship) in Chile three years ago.

Staunton is the Irish representative on the selection committee, which also has a selector from each of the other home unions, as well as a chairman, Peter Benka, and a captain, Peter McEvoy, who with 153 caps is the most capped player for England. And arguably the only sour point came with Britain and Ireland's heavy defeat in Quaker Ridge two years ago.

"We weren't really at the races on that occasion. We were outclassed but, also, maybe, we were not properly prepared. We didn't get the best advice on how to cope with the heat down to things like the players having the wrong type of clothing for the conditions."

Such little things won't reoccur this time round. In fact, Benka and McEvoy paid a visit to the Sea Island course exactly a year ago so they could witness the exact conditions that would be encountered for this match. "I must admit I was looking at it from a strategic rather than aesthetic standpoint, and I considered it to be a fairly balanced test without an over-emphasis on either water or trees.

"We can be certain it will be beautifully presented in the mould of Augusta National, even to the quickness of the greens," remarked McEvoy after his visit.

The influence of McEvoy should not be underestimated. "He's very knowledgeable. He sits in at meetings and the selectors take his views on board - but he is a very good captain, a great motivator and talker to the players," acknowledged de Lacy Staunton.

Indeed, the team that is representing Britain and Ireland this week - the event takes place on Saturday and Sunday with foursomes and singles on each day - is very different from the one that beat the USA so comprehensively at Nairn two years ago. Only Gary Wolstenholme and Luke Donald remain from that side.

"Basically, we had to start all over again from Nairn," conceded de Lacy Staunton. "We thought Luke was going to turn professional, but we were hoping he wouldn't and he stayed. But Paul Casey did turn professional, and we lost him.

"Otherwise, we sat down last September and made up a panel of 27 players, including some players because we thought it would give them a lift and they might come through."

So it is that the Britain and Ireland team has a considerable amount of new blood in its ranks as it seeks to overturn history and retain the trophy on American soil.

"It will be difficult to win and we would have to perform to our absolute maximum ability to win. We have never retained the Walker Cup over there, so it would be really nice to do it," said Staunton.

However, he does not believe that the event should go down the road of the Ryder Cup and be broadened to take in continental European players. The fact that Britain and Ireland have won three of the last six stagings of the old trophy is probably a sufficient retort to those suggestions.