Scottish duo Sandy Scott and Euan Walker secure Walker Cup spots

Two Scots - Nairn’s Sandy Scott and Euan Walker from Kilmarnock (Barassie) - have made the Great Britain & Ireland team for next week’s Walker Cup at Royal Liverpool.

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Great Britain & Ireland will be bidding to repeat a 2015 Walker Cup win over the Americans in this year's match at Royal Liverpool. Picture: Getty ImagesGreat Britain & Ireland will be bidding to repeat a 2015 Walker Cup win over the Americans in this year's match at Royal Liverpool. Picture: Getty Images
Great Britain & Ireland will be bidding to repeat a 2015 Walker Cup win over the Americans in this year's match at Royal Liverpool. Picture: Getty Images

The duo will join forces with five Englishmen and three Irishman in a team being captained by Craig Watson at the Mersyside venue on 7-8 September.

Scott and Walker seemed lock-in picks for the biennial match after both players produced a a string of strong performances this season.

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Texas Tech man Scott recorded his breakthrough win on the US college circuit when landing the El Macero Classic in Texas before helping an International side win the Palmer Cup in Arknsas.

He then enjoyed a good run in the Amateur Championship at Portmarnock and, just last week, qualified for the match-play stage in the US Amateur Championship at Pinehurst.

Walker, meanwhile, got his 2019 campaign off to a flying start when winning the African Amateur Championship at Leopard Creek.

He backed that up by reaching the final of the Amateur Championship, losing on the last to Sugrue, before also finishing runner-up in the European Amateur Championship the following week in Austria.

Mallow man Sugrue is joined by fellow Irishmen Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) and Conor Purcell (Portmarnock) while the English quartet includes Alex Fitzpatrick, younger brother of Matt, who played in the 2013 match.

English Amateur champion Conor Gough (Stoke Park), Harry Hall (West Cornwall) and Thomas Plumb (Yeovil) complete the 10-strong side as GB&I bid to reclaim the trophy after a 19-7 thrashing at Los Angeles Country Club two years ago.

Home advantage has favoured the winners in recent matches, with GB&I coming out on top in 2011 at Royal Aberdeen and 2015 at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

“It has been a very difficult decision to select ten players for Great Britain and Ireland from a strong squad,” said former Amateur champion Watson.

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“But we have been very impressed with the results of those we have picked and we believe they will give us the best chance of regaining the Walker Cup against a strong American team.

“The Walker Cup is a fantastic opportunity for these amateur golfers to demonstrate their talents on the big stage and it will be an experience that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

“We are looking forward to the match at Hoylake and I’m sure the players will give it their very best to win.”

The US team has also been finalised after seven players were added to three initially named by captain Nathaniel Crosby, son of signing legend Bing.

The additions include newly-crowned US Amateur champion Andy Ogletree and Brandon Wu, who who an Open qualifier at Fairmont St Andrews last month.

GB&I team: Alex Fitzpatrick 20 (Hallamshire), Conor Gough 16 (Stoke Park), Harry Hall 21 (West Cornwall), Thomas Plumb 20 (Yeovil), Conor Purcell 21 (Portmarnock), Caolan Rafferty 26 (Dundalk), Sandy Scott 20 (Nairn), Tom Sloman 22 (Taunton & Pickeridge), James Sugrue 22 (Mallow), Euan Walker 24 (Kilmarnock (Barassie)). Reserves: Benjamin Schmidt 16 (Rotherham), Benjamin Jones 19 (Northamptonshire County, 19).

US team: John Augenstein 21 (Owensboro, Ky), Steven Fisk 22 (Stockbridge, Ga), Andy Ogletree 21 (Little Rock, Miss), John Pak 20 (Scotch Plains, N.J), Isaiah Salinda 22 (South San Francisco, Calif), Alex Smalley 22 (Greensboro, N.C), Brandon Wu 22 (Scarsdale, N.Y.), Akshay Bhatia 17 (Wake Forest, N.C.), Stewart Hagestad 28 (Newport Beach, Calif), Cole Hammer 19 (Houston, Texas). Reserves: Chandler Phillips 22 (Huntsville, Texas), Ricky Castillo 18 (Yorba Linda, Calif).

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