Michael Stewart ready to challenge for place in Walker Cup

• Michael Stewart talked at length to Walker Cup captain Nigel Edwards in Italy. Picture: Getty Images

The Ayrshireman made the most of being in Edwards' company in Italy last week for the St Andrews Trophy and is determined to be in his side to take on the Americans in the North-East in around a year's time.

"My next target is the Walker Cup," said Stewart, whose win in the Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Championship at Gullane at the end of July played a big part in him winning the season-long race for the Order of Merit title.

"I talked at length to Nigel Edwards in Italy and he gave me some great advice and shared his experiences so I'm really looking forward to next season with a place in that team to aim for."

Edwards already knows that Stewart is particularly strong in match play, a fact the Troon Welbeck player underlined recently in being Scotland's leading points scorer at the Home Internationals, producing an outstanding performance to drop just half a point in six matches.

The 20-year-old, who won the SGU Boys' Order of Merit two years ago, completed a notable double after staying ahead of the chasing pack despite missing the final counting event, the South East District Open at Mortonhall, due being on GB&I duty. Stewart finished 43.5 points clear of Peterhead's Philip McLean, who edged out fellow North East player Jordan Findlay for the runner-up spot following the completion of the domestic circuit in Edinburgh.

"It's great to win the Order of Merit and it's a nice reward for all the hard work I've put in over the last year," said Stewart, who has decided to end his spell at East Tennessee State University to focus on his Walker Cup bid at home.

"I was playing well over in the States during the early part of the season and I've managed to keep that going since returning to Scotland in May."

The success crowns a great spell for Stewart, who was picked last week along with James Byrne and Ross Kellett to stage Scotland's defence of the Eisenhower Trophy in Argentina later in the year.

He added: "Winning the Scottish Amateur Championship was obviously the highlight and I'm also delighted to achieve my main goal of being selected for the Eisenhower Trophy team. My coach Ian Rae has been a big help, as had my dad and it's nice having such supportive people around me."

While the Scottish Amateur success provided the bulk of his points, Stewart also scored when he reached the last 32 of The Amateur Championship at Muirfield, finished seventh at the prestigious St Andrews Links Trophy and tied third in the Tennant Cup at Haggs Castle.

McLean, runner-up in the St Andrews Links Trophy and winner of the Edward Trophy, improved by two places on last season's fourth spot, with a rejuvenated Findlay just 2.5 points behind him in third place. Hazlehead's David Law, last year's double Scottish champion, ended his injury-ravaged season strongly with three consecutive top-four finishes to claim fourth spot, just ahead of Fifers Peter Latimer and James White in fifth and sixth place respectively.

Former winners of the SGU Order of Merit include Andrew Coltart (1991) Dean Robertson (1992, 93), Gordon Sherry (1995), Steven O'Hara (2001, 01) and Callum Macaulay (2007).