Scotland's European Championship selections put under the microscope

Martin Dempster runs the rule over the sides selected by Scottish Golf for title battles next week

Scotland’s selections for the upcoming European Team Championships have been announced, with sides set to be in action next week in Hungary, France, Czechia and England.

Based on recent editions of all four events, a tartan title triumph seems unlikely but, nonetheless, the players picked for their respective assignments will be wearing the Scottish Golf blue with pride.

Here’s our rundown of the team selections for the events, which all run from 8-12 July:

European Men’s Team Championship B Division in Hungary

Blairgowrie’s Connor Graham is one of two Scots sitting in the top 40 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking | The R&A

Involved in the second-tier event for the second time in three years, the Scots had been due to be led into battle by Cameron Adam and Connor Graham, both of whom sit in the top 40 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Helped by winning the St Andrews Links Trophy, Adam topped The Open Amateur Series to book his berth at Royal Portrush before then being joined in the field for the Claret Jug event by Graham after he secured the last spot up for grabs in a Final Qualifying event at Dundonald Links.

Adam is still heding to Hungary but, after a busy spell and, of course, with a huge opportunity having now been tee up in Northern Ireland, Graham has withdrawn, as has California-based Niall Shiels Donegan, who finished third in The Open Amateur Series. Schloss Roxburghe’s Jack McDonald and Ross Laird of Glenbervie have been drated in after initially being named as reserves.

Gregor Tait, a two-time Scottish Amateur Championship runner-up, brings plenty of top-level amateur experience to the table while Alexander Farmer is the current Scottish Amateur champion. Lots of people, meanwhile, will be delighted to see Crail’s Andrew Davidson in the side after he won the Battle Trophy at his home club earlier in the year before producing a superb effort to finish joint-third in the Lytham Trophy.

The Scots won this event in Slovakia two years ago and, though it is a blow to be without both Graham and Shiels Donegan, the same result will be in their sights after being relegated 12 months ago after ending up 14th in an event won by Sweden.

Broomieknowe’s Hannah Darling looks set to sign off her amateur career with a Scotland appearance in France | Getty Images

European Women’s Team Championship in Chantilly

Hannah Darling is the headline name in this team as she makes what is likely to be her final appearance as an amateur before embarking on a professional career in the next few weeks. The Broomiekowe player helped Great Britain & Ireland pull off a dramatic Curtis Cup win at Sunningdale last summer and, last weekend, was also on a winning Great Britain & Ireland team in the Vagliano Trophy at Royal Hague in the Netherlands.

Lorna McClymont has joined the pro ranks since last year’s event, which Darling missed, but Royal Troon’s Freya Russell and Jen Saxton (Dunfermline) are survivors from that team. North Berwick’s Grace Crawford, a former Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open winner, gets the chance to shine again at women’s level, with Abigail May, one of the rising Scottish stars, and Scottish Women’s champion Susan Woodhouse (East Kilbride) completing the line up.

Pollok’s Rosie Maguire and Australia-based Sheridan Clancy (Lake Karrinyup) are the two reserves, with the Scots aiming to improve on finishing tenth in last year’s event in Spain.

The R&A

European Boys’ Team Championship in Brno

Aidan Lawson, the Bruntsfield Links player who emulated Sergio Garcia by winning the European Junior Masters last year, will be hoping to shine again on a big stage as the Scots return to the main event after finishing second in Division 2 in Poland last year.

Broomieknowe’s Kai Laing, winner of the recent Stephen Gallacher Foundation Trophy at Schloss Roxburghe, is also in the side, as is St Andrews New member Finlay Galloway, who stormed to a ten-shot win in the Paul Lawrie Junior Jug at Newmachar earlier in the year.

Deeside’s Oli Blackadder, who tops the Scottish Boys’ Order of Merit, Brodie Cunningham, a highly-rated player from Bothwell Castle, and Dunbar’s Kiron Gribble complete the line up, with talented Craigielaw youngster Fraser Walters narrowly missing out along with Jamie McDonald (St Andrews New).

St Regulus player Carly McDonald has been in winning form on the domestic scene over the past few weeks | Scottish Golf

European Girls’ Team Championship at Slaley Hall

Facing the shortest journey, the Scots are heading to Northumberland with a side that should feel quietly confident about improving on last year’s 16th position in Sweden. Carly McDonald, a rising star at St Regulus in St Andrews, landed back-to-back wins recently in the Barrie Douglas Foundation Scottish Junior Masters at Strathmore and the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Vase at Schloss Roxburghe in the Borders.

She’s set to join forces with Royal Troon’s Jodie Graham, Erin Huskie of Stirling, Loudon’s Hannah Ounap, Kaci Robertson of Nairn Dunbar and Craigielaw’s Stella Walters, Fraser’s younger sister. It’s widely believed that Scotland has some exciting young talent in the girls’ game - Ralston’s Melissa Keay, the reserve, is included in that - and this will be an opportunity for these six players to vindicate that optimism.

The Scottish line up for the European Young Masters later in the month at La Boulie in France has also been announced and it is a real family affair. A mixed boys’ and girls’ team, it features two sets of siblings in Carly and Jamie McDonald and Stella and Fraser Walters.

Meanwhile, the sides for both the European Senior Men’s and Women’s Team Championships, which take place from 2-6 September in Austria and Spain respectively, will be announced in due course.