Craig Watson to miss Walker Cup due to family illness

Craig Watson will not captain Great Britain and Ireland in next week's Walker Cup against the United States due to a serious illness in his immediate family.

In Watson’s absence, chairman of selectors Andrew Ingram will take over as acting captain of the 10-man side seeking to retain the trophy at Los Angeles Country Club from September 9-10.

Watson of East Renfrewshire defeated future Masters champion Trevor Immelman to win the Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s in 1997 and played in the Walker Cup defeat at Quaker Ridge later that year.

He was set to become the first Scot to lead GB&I in the Walker Cup since Colin Dalgleish was at the helm at Merion in 2009, having also been captain at Royal County Down two years earlier.

Nigel Edwards captained GB&I to a record seven-point victory at Royal Lytham in 2015, but their last win on American soil came back in 2001.

Ingram captained the victorious European Junior Ryder Cup team in Ohio in 2004 and also at Celtic Manor in 2006, where the home side retained the trophy after a 6-6 tie.

The 57-year-old became chairman of the R&A men’s selection committee in 2014 and has been chairman of the teams and performance committee at the Golf Union of Wales for more than a decade.