When I met Walker Cup captain, Pewter McEvoy, at Lytham this week, he was especially upbeat about the Scottish Open performance of Michael Hoey, a member of the side for Sea Island, Georgia next month. "Three 71s were impressive enough but to finish with a 64 has given the team a tremendous boost," said McEvoy.

The Englishman, who is noted as one of the shrewdest observers of the game, has a fascinating view on the challenge of becoming the first team from these islands of retaining the Walker Cup. " My first objective will be to get the football thing out of the equation," he said.

He explained: "When you think about, the only real difference between playing at home and playing away is the shouting in your ear. This is especially true in golf, where the course is often new to both teams. In that context, it is worth remembering that the great American players such as Hogan, Palmer, Nicklaus and Trevino overcame not only strange surroundings, but links terrain that was entirely new to them,

"And while the humidity will obviously be a factor in Georgia, my players have really only the crowds to worry about."