Walker Cup looms large as Irish take on Royal Lytham and St Annes
Royal Lytham and St Annes
A first Irish win since Paul Cutler triumphed five years ago could open the doors to the Walker Cup in the Lytham Trophy this weekend.
The big three of Gary Hurley, Jack Hume and Gavin Moynihan lead a 12-strong Irish contingent into action at this year's Walker Cup venue against an extremely strong field that features three of the world's top 25 and six of the top 50.
While the US college players are absent, double European Amateur champion Ashley Chesters and British Amateur winner Bradley Neil will be fancied to do well as will the impressive Swede Marcus Kinhult, the highest ranked player at No 2 in the world.
Kinhult won the Sage Valley Invitational last week and tied for fourth at Royal Lytham last year alongside West Waterford man Hurley, who showed excellent form over the winter, reaching the Spanish Amateur final at Sherry Golf in February.
Ballymena's Dermot McElroy will be looking to build on his West of Ireland win with another good showing at Royal Lytham, where he tied for seventh last year.
How many Walker Cup places are truly up for grabs remains to be seen but with Hurley, Moynihan and Hume and Paul Dunne and with the likes of Sharvin and McElroy capable of pushing hard for consideration, disappointment is a guarantee.
What better way to create a selection headache for GB&I captain Nigel Edwards than to win the Sputnik Trophy at the venue where his side will take on the USA from September 10-12.
| Time R1 | Game | Time R2 | Name | Club |
| 0730 | 2 | 1140 | Gary Hurley | West Waterford |
| Romain Langasque | France | |||
| Leonard Bem | France | |||
| 0740 | 2 | 1150 | Marcus Svensson | Sweden |
| Neal Woernhard | Switzerland | |||
| Frederic Lacroix | France | |||
| 0750 | 3 | 1200 | Geoff Lenehan | Portmarnock |
| Zan Luka Stirn | Slovenia | |||
| Nick Marsh | Huddersfield | |||
| 0800 | 4 | 1210 | Cormac Sharvin | Ardglass |
| Nick Watson | Stoke Rochford | |||
| John Axelsen | Denmark | |||
| 0810 | 5 | 1220 | Henry Tomlinson | R. Lytham & St Annes |
| Alexander Stubbs | Oxfordshire (The) | |||
| Felix Kvarnstrom | Sweden | |||
| 0820 | 6 | 1230 | Jack Singh Brar | Remedy Oak |
| Daydon Alexandre | France | |||
| S Whitaker | Blankney | |||
| 0830 | 7 | 1240 | Maximilian Mehles | Germany |
| Edward Richardson | Rye | |||
| Samuel Turner | R. Lytham & St Annes | |||
| 0840 | 8 | 1250 | Peter Launer Bak | Denmark |
| Callan Barrow | R. Lytham & St Annes | |||
| Daniel Becker | Germany | |||
| 0850 | 9 | 1300 | Simon Richardson | Boston |
| Marco Iten | Switzerland | |||
| JS Bower | Meltham | |||
| 0900 | 10 | 1310 | Paul Kinnear | Formby |
| Jack Barrie Yule | Middleton Hall | |||
| Craig Melding | Neath | |||
| 0910 | 11 | 1320 | Gary Collins | Rosslare |
| Tim Harry | Vale of Glamorgan | |||
| Scott Gregory | Corhampton | |||
| 0920 | 12 | 1330 | Andrew Wilson | Darlington |
| Lee Jones | Conwy (Caernarvonshire) | |||
| Matty Lamb | Hexham | |||
| 0930 | 13 | 1340 | Mark Phillip Collins | Chart Hills |
| John Ross Galbraith | Whitehead | |||
| Nicolas Aparicio | France | |||
| 0940 | 14 | 1350 | Christopher Dammert | Germany |
| Robin Dawson | Faithlegg | |||
| Richard Jouven | France | |||
| 0950 | 15 | 1400 | Fraser Moore | Glenbervie |
| Stuart Grehan | Tullamore | |||
| Bradley Moore | Kedleston Park | |||
| 1000 | 16 | 1410 | Connor Syme | Drumoig |
| Nick Macandrew | Royal Aberdeen | |||
| Eugene Smith | Ardee | |||
| 1010 | 17 | 1420 | Vaclan Lebl | Czech Republic |
| Oliver Roberts | Hong Kong | |||
| Jamie Savage | Cawder | |||
| 1020 | 18 | 1430 | Michael Hirmer | Germany |
| Ashton Turner | Kenwick Park | |||
| John Carroll | Huyton & Prescot | |||
| 1030 | 19 | 1440 | Graeme Robertson | Glenbervie |
| Joe Dean | Lindrick | |||
| Ewen Ferguson | Bearsden | |||
| 1040 | 20 | 1450 | Marco Penge | Golf at Goodwood |
| Luke Trocado | South Africa | |||
| Ben Wall | Hayling | |||
| 1050 | 21 | 1500 | Alfie Plant | Sundridge Park |
| Victor Henum | Denmark | |||
| Thomas Gandy | Rowany | |||
| 1110 | 22 | 1510 | Oskar Bergqvist | Sweden |
| Grant Kelton Price | USA | |||
| Jack Hume | Naas | |||
| 1120 | 23 | 1520 | Victor Tarnstrom | Sweden |
| Victor Theandersson | Sweden | |||
| Eli Cole | USA | |||
| 1130 | 24 | 1530 | Nicholas Peoples | R. Lytham & St Annes |
| Jack Davis | Aston Wood | |||
| Jamie Dick | Forest Hills (Gloucestershire) | |||
| 1140 | 25 | 0730 | Richard Bridges | Stackstown |
| Adrien Pinguet | France | |||
| James Allan | Chelmsford | |||
| 1150 | 26 | 0740 | Oliver James Farrell | Evesham |
| William Whiteoak | Shipley | |||
| Craig Howie | Peebles | |||
| 1200 | 27 | 0750 | Jeremy Freiburghaus | Switzerland |
| James Glenn | USA | |||
| 1210 | 28 | 0800 | Robert Burlison | Oxley Park |
| Matthew Jordan | Royal Liverpool | |||
| Greig Marchbank | Thornhill | |||
| 1220 | 29 | 0810 | Robin Roussel | France |
| Harry Hall | West Cornwall | |||
| Marcus Kinhult | Sweden | |||
| 1230 | 30 | 0820 | Dermot McElroy | Ballymena |
| Bradley Neil | Blairgowrie | |||
| Jeroen Krietemeijer | Netherlands | |||
| 1240 | 31 | 0830 | Oscar Granstrom-Livesey | Royal Mid-Surrey |
| Adam Chapman | Windermere | |||
| Edgar Catherine | France | |||
| 1250 | 32 | 0840 | Colm Campbell | Warrenpoint |
| Jack McDonald | Kilmarnock (Barassie) | |||
| Scott Gibson | Southerness | |||
| 1300 | 33 | 0850 | Lukas Lipold | Austria |
| David Butler | Monifieth Golf Links | |||
| L Johnson | Kings Lynn | |||
| 1310 | 34 | 0900 | Jeong-Weon Ko | France |
| Maximilian Boegel | Germany | |||
| Ashley Chesters | Hawkstone Park | |||
| 1320 | 35 | 0910 | Richard James | Aberystwyth |
| Markus Habeler | Austria | |||
| Felix Palson | Sweden | |||
| 1330 | 36 | 0920 | G Harris | Formby |
| Jimmy Mullen | Royal North Devon | |||
| Will Shucksmith | Alwoodley | |||
| 1340 | 37 | 0930 | Jim Liu | USA |
| Sixten Jensen | Denmark | |||
| Jack Davidson | Llanwern | |||
| 1350 | 38 | 0940 | Michael Saunders | Dartford |
| Tim Widing | Sweden | |||
| Matyas Zapletal | Czech Republic | |||
| 1400 | 39 | 0950 | Christoffer Bring | Denmark |
| Piran Adi (USA) | USA | |||
| Bryce McCabe | South Africa | |||
| 1410 | 40 | 1000 | Daniel Wasteney | Lindrick |
| Michael Smyth | Royal Troon - Old Course | |||
| Matthew Clark | Kilmacolm | |||
| 1420 | 41 | 1010 | Vince Van Veen | Netherlands |
| Evan Griffith | Conwy(Caernarvonshire) | |||
| Daniel Brown | Bedale | |||
| 1430 | 42 | 1020 | Max Schmitt | Germany |
| Robbie Van West | Prise d Eau | |||
| Lars Keunen | Netherlands | |||
| 1440 | 43 | 1030 | Vitek Novak | Czech Republic |
| Oliver Carr | Heswall | |||
| Kevin Reints | Netherlands | |||
| 1450 | 44 | 1040 | Ashley Mason | Glen Gorse |
| Christopher Kendall | R. Lytham & St Annes | |||
| Mathias Eggenberger | Switzerland | |||
| 1500 | 45 | 1050 | Daniel Young | Craigie Hill |
| Jeremy Gandon | France | |||
| Ben Amor | Marlborough | |||
| 1510 | 46 | 1110 | Daniel Holland | Castle |
| Adam Blomme | Sweden | |||
| Barry J Hume | Haggs Castle | |||
| 1520 | 47 | 1120 | Craig Ross | Kirkhill |
| Sean Towndrow | Southport & Ainsdale | |||
| Jamie Li | Bath | |||
| 1530 | 48 | 1130 | James McCormick | Styal |
| Gavin Moynihan | The Island | |||
| Ugo Coussaud | France |
