Shane Lowry, Niall Kearney and Paul Cutler, who were all members of the Ireland team that successfully defended the European Amateur Team Championship in Turin last year, have been named in the initial 28-man Walker Cup training squad.
Culter made a huge impression at the team championships in Italy when the young Portstewart golfer won all six of his matches, including a 3 and 2 win in the final over England’s Chris Wood, winner of the silver medal in last year’s British Open at Birkdale.
Lowry is the highest ranked Irishman at 13th in the R&A’s amateur world standings. Last year the Esker Hills member claimed the Irish Amateur Open and the North of Ireland Championship.
Kearney broke his championship duck by claiming the South of Ireland Championship when he defeated the Curragh’s Paul O’Hanlon 4 and 3 in the final at Lahinch Golf Club in Clare.
Culter and Kearney may be well down the amateur rankings at 92nd and 162nd respectively but they have shown enough to merit their place in Colin Dalgleish’s squad. Scotland’s World Team Championship winners Wallace Booth and Gavin Dear are also named in the squad
“As a squad, we go into the 2009 season with a lot of confidence,” said Dalgleish. “Great Britain and Ireland currently have both the reigning European and World Amateur Team Championship winners and we have over half of the players that won those events in the talented group we have assembled.”
“Only Nigel Edwards (going for his fifth cap) has had previous Walker Cup experience but all of the selected individuals have plenty of team match play under their belts,” added Chairman of Selectors, Tony Disley. “A large proportion have also spent extended periods playing college golf in the states and we hope this will pay dividends at Merion.”
This year’s Walker Cup will take place at Merion Golf Club, Pennsylvania from September 12th-13th. Merion is famous for having hosted more USGA championship tournaments than any other and for being the place where Bobby Jones completed his 1930 Grand Slam.
It will also be the venue where Dalgleish’s side will attempt to win the biennial team trophy back that they lost at Royal County Down in 2007, when stars like Rory McIlroy and Jonathan Caldwell were on the team.
Britain and Ireland Walker Cup squad: Todd Adcock (Nevill); Wallace Booth (Comrie); Paul Cutler (Portstewart); Gavin Dear (Murrayshall); Alan Dunbar (Rathmore); Nigel Edwards (Whitchurch); Ben Enoch (Truro); Rhys Enoch (Truro); Steven McEwan (Caprington); Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall); Charlie Ford (Kirby Muxloe); Luke Goddard (Hendon); Matt Haines (Rochester & Cobham Park); Paul O'Hara (Colville Park); Sam Hutsby (Liphook); Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin); Dara Lernihan (Castle); Shane Lowry (Esker Hills); Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie); Chris Paisley (Stocksfield); Eddie Pepperell (Drayton Park); Tom Sherreard (Chart Hills); Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck); Steven Uzzell (Hornsea); Simon Ward (Co Louth); Ben Westgate (Trevose); Dale Whitnell (Five Lakes); Gordon Yates (Hilton Park).
