Dawson gets Jacques Leglise call up
Faithlegg’s Robin Dawson. Picture: Pat CashmanFaithlegg’s Robin Dawson has been named in the nine-strong Great Britain and Ireland team to face the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy later this month.
GB&I will be aiming to win back the trophy at Royal St David’s in Wales after suffering a 13 ½ - 10 ½ defeat at Portmarnock last year.
Eight of the nine players featured in the recent Boys Home Internationals, including Dawson from the victorious Irish team, while it’s also worth noting that three members of last year’s losing GB&I side - Gavin Moyniham, Max Orrin and Matthew Fitzpatrick - were yesterday named in the Walker Cup side.
Captain Ashton Turner is enjoying a successful 2013 season having won the Bernard Darwin Salver and finished tied second alongside Robert Burlison at the Peter McEvoy Trophy. He also reached the semi final of the 2013 French International Boys’ Championship at Le Touquet.
Dawson won the 2013 Irish Boys’ Open Amateur Championship at Lisburn and went on to represent Ireland in the recent European Boys’ Team Championships at Murcar Links.
The Scottish players have enjoyed good seasons with Ferguson winning the Boys Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) and the inaugural Stephen Gallacher Foundation Trophy; Syme winning the Paul Lawrie Foundation Scottish Schoolboys’ Championship for the second successive year; MacIntyre winning the Scottish Boys Stroke Play Championship and Bradley Neil representing Scotland in the recent Men’s Home Internationals at Ganton.
Moore has won the McEvoy Trophy, the Midland Region Schools Championship and was third behind Marco Penge at the English Boys’ Under-16 Open Amateur Championship (McGregor Trophy).
Penge won the Fairhaven Trophy but lost out to Robin Dawson in a play-off for the Irish Boys’ Open Amateur Championship. Amor won the Carris Trophy - the English Boys’ Under-18 Stroke Play Championship at West Lancs.
Peter McEvoy, the Chairman of The R&A selectors, said, “We have some very talented young players in the team and are confident that we can regain the trophy. They have all played in the Boys Home Internationals and playing in the Jacques Leglise Trophy will give them even more experience of team competition which will stand them in good stead for the future.”
The Continent of Europe Team, led by non-playing Captain Miguel Franco de Sousa, features a strong line-up of players including the German number one Dominic Foos, who won the French International Boys Championship, and his compatriot Michael Hirmer, who reached the final of the Boys Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool (Hoylake).
Highly-rated Italian Renato Paratore won last year’s European Young Masters in Hungary and reached the quarter finals of this year’s Amateur Championship while Mario Galiano, the 2012 Spanish Junior champion, won this year’s Copa Baleares.
Great Britain and Ireland: Ashton Turner, Kenwick Park (Captain), Robin Dawson, Faithlegg; Connor Syme, Dumfries & County; Robert MacIntyre, Glencruitten; Ewen Ferguson, Bearsden; Bradley Neil, Blairgowrie; Marco Penge, Worthing; Bradley Moore, Kedleston Park; Ben Amor, Marlborough.
The Continent of Europe team: Dominic Foos, Germany; Renato Paratore, Italy; Mario Galiano, Spain; Romain Langasque, France; Nicolas Manifacier, France; Kristoffer Ventura, Norway; Ivan Cantero, Spain; Paul Elissalde, France; Michael Hirmer, Germany.
The match will be played at Royal St David’s in Wales on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 August. Four foursomes ties will be played each morning with eight singles matches played each afternoon.
For scoring and reports from the match please visit championships.randa.org.