Four Irish — and Super Senior Morrow - make Concession Cup team

Adrian Morrow (Portmarnock) during the 2016 Irish Seniors Amateur Close Championship at Tralee. Picture by Pat Cashman

Great Britain and Ireland skipper Peter McEvoy was a happy man when he learned that Portmarnock's Adrian Morrow will become a Super Senior in April.

Team captains are not usually delighted to see their men growing older but Morrow, the winner of four domestic "majors" as well as three European Senior titles, could be his secret weapon for the third staging of the Concession Cup at The Concession Golf Club in Florida from April 19-21.

The tall, sweet-swinging former East of Ireland (1975, 83) and South of Ireland champion (1983, '96) joins Flogas Irish Amateur Open champion Peter O'Keeffe, former East of Ireland and Irish Amateur Open winner Colm Campbell and multiple championship winner Garth McGimpsey in the 14-strong team.

"I actually was picked as a senior but then when we looked at dates we discovered I become a super senior the day before," said Morrow, who clinched the winning point for Ireland in last year's European Senior Team Championship in Sweden.

Warrenpoint's Colm Campbell. Picture by Pat Cashman

GB&I could certainly do with any points Morrow can provide having lost 21.5-14.5 in 2014 and 29-7 two years ago when course co-designers Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin returned as honorary captains at the venue that was named after Nicklaus' famous concession of Jacklin's two-foot putt in the 1969 Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale.

Founded with the idea of promoting the amateur game at the highest level and raising money for charity, the three-day Concession Cup comprises two teams of 14 — six Mid-Ams (age 25 to 54), six Seniors (aged 55 and older) and two players, or Super Seniors, aged 65 or older — playing fourballs, foursomes and singles over 

Royal Portrush's Garth McGimpsey. Picture Picture by Pat Cashman

Teams are selected by a selection committee based on a list of criteria that includes performance in national and international events together with reference to the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Bob Lewis will captain the US team with former Amateur champion and Walker Cup player McEvoy hoping to take the Sir Michael Bonallack and William Campbell Trophy across the pond for the first time as GB&I skipper.

McEvoy, 64, won back-to-back Amateur Championships in 1977 and 1978 and represented Great Britain and Ireland on five Walker Cup teams between 1977 and 1989 before captaining the GB&I  side to victory at Nairn in 1999 and Ocean Forest Golf Club in 2001.

Douglas' Peter O'Keeffe, the Irish Amateur Open champion. Picture by Pat Cashman

"It will be a great thrill to captain team GB&I," said McEvoy. "I'm excited about the strength of our team and we look forward to the challenge of bringing home a victory. 

"Plus, knowing that the Concession Cup is focused on giving back to charity makes my participation all the more rewarding."

The club was named after Nicklaus' famous concession of Jacklin's two-foot putt in the 1969 Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale.

Previous Irish participants include McGimpsey, Morrow, Maurice Kelly, Nigel Duke, Pat Murray, Arthur Pierse, Tom Cleary, Harry Diamond and Robbie Cannon.

Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin at the Concession Cup in 2014

USA

Captain: Bob Lewis (Pepper Pike, OH)

• Mid-Ams: Stewart Hagestad (Newport Beach, CA), Scott Harvey (Greensboro, NC), Michael McDermott (Bryn Mawr, PA), Matt Parziale (Brockton, MA), Nathan Smith (Pittsburgh, PA), Todd White (Spartanburg, SC).
• Seniors: Gene Elliott (West Des Moines, IA), Doug Hanzel (Savannah, GA), Tim Jackson (Germantown, TN), Sean Knapp (Oakmont, PA), John McClure (Los Angeles, CA), Matthew Sughrue (Arlington, VA).
• Senior (65+): Vinny Giles (Richmond, VA), Buddy Marucci (Villanova).

Great Britain & Ireland

Captain: Peter McEvoy (Troon, Scotland); Vice Captain: Martin Young (Ringwood, Hampshire, England)

• Mid-Ams: Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint, Ireland), Matt Clark (Aberdeen, Scotland), Jack Gaunt (Tamworth, England), Bobby Leopold (Surrey, England), Peter O'Keefe (Douglas, Ireland), Simon Richardson (Boston, England).
• Seniors: Graham Bell (Dundee, Scotland), Ronnie Clark (Bishopton, Scotland), Ian Crowther (Lancashire, England), Stephen East (York, England), Bryan Hughes (Southport, England), Garth McGimpsey (Bangor, Ireland).
• Senior (65+): Alan Mew (Southampton, England), Adrian Morrow (Dublin, Ireland).