Four Irish named in St Andrews Trophy squad
Naas' Jack Hume (above), Gavin Moynihan, Gary Hurley and Dermot McElroy have made the 21-man GB&I St Andrews Trophy squad. Picture: Pat Cashman / www.cashmanphotography.ie
Four Irish players have been named in the Great Britain and Ireland St Andrews Trophy squad ahead of August's match with the Continent of Europe in Sweden.
The Island's Gavin Moynihan, Naas' Jack Hume, West Waterford's Gary Hurley and Ballymena's Dermot McElroy made the 21-strong squad from which nine players will be chosen to try and win back the trophy at Barsebäck Golf and Country Club from August 29-30.
University of Alabama based Moynihan is one of four Walker Cup players named alongside US Amateur champion Matthew Fitzpatrick, Scotland's Jack McDonald and Welshman Rhys Pugh.
Greg Eason, who is currently ranked third in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and reigning European Amateur champion Ashley Chesters bring depth to the squad, along with talented young players Sam Horsfield and 2013 Scottish Boys champion Bradley Neil.
Nigel Edwards will captain the team for the third time as GB&I look to reclaim the trophy after the Continent of Europe’s narrow 12½ – 11½ victory at Portmarnock in 2012. The nine-man team that will face the Continent of Europe in the biennial match will be named in mid-August.
2014 GB&I St Andrews Trophy squad
Tomasz Anderson (Brocket Hall), age 21 – Anderson reached the semi-finals of the 2013 English Amateur Championship at Frilford Heath and won his fourth college tournament title in March 2014.
Ashley Chesters (Hawkstone Park), age 24 – Chesters won the 2013 European Amateur to secure a place in the 2014 Open Championship and was part of the winning European team against Asia-Pacific at the 2014 Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy in India.
Greg Eason (Kirby Muxloe), age 21 – Eason is currently ranked third in the world in the WORLD AMATEUR GOLF RANKING™ and has earned seven individual collegiate victories.
Ryan Evans (Wellingborough), age 27 – Evans won the 2014 Lake Macquarie International and Avondale Medal and was a member of the winning European team at the Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy.
Matthew Fitzpatrick (Hallamshire), age 19 - Fresh from his Masters debut, Fitzpatrick is currently ranked number two in the world on the WAGR™ listing. He earned the Silver Medal as the leading amateur at the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield before winning the 2013 US Amateur Championship and representing GB&I at the 2013 Walker Cup.
Grant Forrest (Cragielaw), age 20 – Forrest made his Open Championship debut at Muirfield in 2013 after winning the local qualifying event at Dunbar and is a former Scottish Amateur, Scottish Boys and Scottish Under-16s champion.
Sam Horsfield (Davenport, USA), age 17 – Horsfield became the youngest winner in the history of the Florida State Amateur Championship in 2013 and was the leading qualifier at both the 2013 US Junior Amateur and US Amateur Public Links.
Paul Howard (Southport & Ainsdale), age 23 – Howard won the 2014 South American Amateur Championship in Colombia in January and recorded top ten finishes in the Lytham Trophy and the Finnish Amateur in 2012.
Jack Hume (Naas), age 20 – Hume finished fourth in the individual competition at the 2014 European Nations Cup in Spain and in 2010 became only the second player to win all four Irish provincial boys titles in the same year.
Gary Hurley (West Waterford), age 21 – Hurley won the 2013 R&A Foundation Scholars Tournament on the Old Course in St Andrews and earned a place on the European Palmer Cup team.
Nick Marsh (Huddersfield), age 19 – The England International finished tied ninth at the 2014 South American Amateur Championship and runner-up at the 2014 Portugese Amateur Stroke Play.
Jimmy Mullen (Royal North Devon), age 21 – Qualified for the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield at Local Final Qualifying in North Berwick and made the cut at the Championship finishing tied 75th.
Gavin Moynihan (The Island), age 19 - Moynihan represented GB&I at the 2013 Walker Cup. He was the youngest ever winner of the Irish Amateur Open in 2012 and finished runner-up in 2013.
Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), age 21 – McDonald reached the semi-finals of the Amateur Championship in 2012 and played in the Scottish Open and the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles before being named 2012 Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year.
Dermot McElroy (Ballymena), age 21 – McElroy represented Europe at the 2014 Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy and finished runner-up at the 2014 South African Amateur Open Stroke Play Championship.
Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie), age 18 – Neil won the 2013 Scottish Boys Championship before playing in the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in St Andrews and helped Scotland to victory at the 2014 European Nations Cup at Sotogrande.
Rhys Pugh (Pontypridd), age 20 – Pugh represented GB&I in the 2011 and 2013 Walker Cup Matches and played in the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield after winning the 2012 European Amateur Championship.
James Ross (Royal Burgess), age 24 – Ross was named 2013 Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year after breaking into the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking™.
Ewan Scott (St Andrews), age 18 – Scott topped the Scottish Hydro Boys’ Order of Merit in 2012 after winning the Scottish Youths Championship in 2012 and he reached the semi-finals of the South African Amateur Championship in 2013.
Jordan Smith (Bowood), age 21 – Smith represented GB&I at the 2013 Walker Cup Match and won the Brabazon Trophy at Formby Golf Club in 2013.
Ben Taylor (Walton Heath), age 21 – Taylor was part of the GB&I team in the 2012 St Andrews Trophy and was a member of the European side at the 2013 Palmer Cup.
