Walker Cup call ups for John Murphy and Mark Power
John Murphy (Kinsale). Picture by Pat Cashman
Kinsale’s John Murphy and Kilkenny’s Mark Power have been selected for the Great Britain and Ireland team to play the USA in the 48th Walker Cup match at Seminole in Florida from May 8-9.
Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty, who played in the 2019 match at Royal Liverpool, misses out as he has played just one event in the last six months due to injury and the COViD-19 pandemic, while Holywood’s Tom McKibbin also failed to convince the selectors this time around.
The selection of Power (20)— a son of three-time Irish Close champion Eddie Power and three-time Irish Ladies’ Close winner Eileen Rose McDaid— is no surprise given his trajectory over the past three years.
A two-time Irish Boys champion, the Wake Forest sophomore reached the semi-finals of The Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale and finished second in the Brabazon Trophy last year.
Like Rafferty, he also played for the winning International team in the Arnold Palmer Cup at Bay Hill and having previously represented GB&I in the Jacques Leglise Trophy and Ireland in the European Amateur Team Championship and Men’s Home Internationals, a Walker Cup cap is a just reward for a player now ranked 29th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
A returning senior at the University of Louisville, Murphy (22) might have made the team in 2019 following his breakthrough win in the St Andrews Links Trophy the previous year.
But he found form too late in 2019 to get the nod, winning the Mullingar Scratch Trophy and the Bearcat Invitational late in the season before adding two more collegiate wins last year to catch the attention of the selectors.
Mark Power (Kilkenny). Picture by Pat Cashman
Earlier this year finished sixth in the Jones Cup Invitational and seventh in the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate to clinch his place having recorded wins in the GCAA Amateur Series – Georgia and the Dorado Beach Collegiate in 2020.
GB&I is bidding to win back the famous trophy after the USA secured a 15½-10½ victory at Royal Liverpool two years ago, marking the first away win in the match since 2007 when the USA prevailed at Royal County Down.
The GB&I team comprises Barclay Brown, Alex Fitzpatrick, Angus Flanagan, Ben Jones, Matty Lamb, Joe Long, John Murphy, Mark Power, Ben Schmidt and Sandy Scott. The travelling reserves are Jack Dyer and Jake Bolton.
Stuart Wilson, GB&I captain, said: “The Walker Cup is the pinnacle of the amateur game for these players and we are delighted that they will have the opportunity to compete against their counterparts from the USA at Seminole.
"It gives them the opportunity to display their exceptional talent and will provide a lifetime of memories. After a difficult year with the Covid-19 pandemic, we are all looking forward to the match this year and I know the team will be doing their very best to win back the Walker Cup.”
The selection of Murphy and Power brings to 49 the number of Irish players selected for Walker Cup duty since 1924.
The GB&I team:
Barclay Brown (20, Hallamshire, England)
Alex Fitzpatrick (22, Hallamshire, England)
Angus Flanagan (21, St George’s Hill, England)
Ben Jones (21, Northamptonshire County, England)
Matty Lamb (23, Hexham, England)
Joe Long (23, Lansdown, England)
John Murphy (22, Kinsale, Ireland)
Mark Power (20, Kilkenny, Ireland)
Ben Schmidt (18, Rotherham, England)
Sandy Scott (22, Nairn, Scotland)
Reserves:
1. Jack Dyer (23, Boyce Hill, England)
2. Jake Bolton (22, Ogbourne Downs, England)
Captain:
Stuart Wilson (43, Forfar, Scotland)
Recent results:
2019, Royal Liverpool, GB&I 10½ USA 15½
2017 Los Angeles Country Club, USA 19 GB&I 7
2015 Royal Lytham & St Annes, GB&I 16½ USA 9½
2013 The National Golf Links of America, USA 17 GB&I 9
Player profiles
Barclay Brown
Representing Stanford University, Brown has most recently finished fifth in the Bandon Dunes Championship which builds on his two top-10 results last season, including a second place in the Cabo Collegiate. On English soil in 2020, he was a semi-finalist at the English Men’s Amateur Championship, fourth in the Brabazon Trophy and reached the quarter-finals of The Amateur Championship. He has previously represented GB&I in the 2018 and 2019 Jacques Leglise Trophy matches as the playing captain.
Alex Fitzpatrick
The Englishman is making his second appearance in the Walker Cup after playing in the match at Royal Liverpool two years ago, when he secured two points for GB&I. Representing Wake Forest University, he has started this year strongly, winning the Valspar Collegiate, finishing tied-second at the Jones Cup Invitational and recording top five finishes in the Wake Forest Invitational and Arizona Collegiate. Last year, he won the Golf Club of Georgia Amateur Championship and was a member of the International team which won the Arnold Palmer Cup against the United States of America at Bay Hill.
Angus Flanagan
Played for the International team which won the Arnold Palmer Cup against the United States of America at Bay Hill and finished second in the Windsong Invite last year. Received invites to play in this season’s Genesis Invitational and the 3M Open in 2020 on the PGA TOUR. In 2019, he won the Macdonald Cup and the Big Ten Championship.
Ben Jones
Last season, Jones recorded top-ten finishes in the Australian Master of the Amateurs, Australian Men's Amateur Championship and Ghala Open. In 2019, the Englishman reached the semi-finals of The Amateur Championship at Portmarnock, finished third in the European Amateur Championship and represented England in the European Amateur Team Championship and Men’s Home Internationals. He played for GB&I in the 2017 Jacques Leglise Trophy.
Matty Lamb
Won the North of England Open Amateur Championship and Tillman Trophy last year, as well as reaching the last 32 of The Amateur Championship. Has represented England in the Men’s Home Internationals and European Amateur Team Championship.
Joe Long
Long savoured success on home soil to win The 125th Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale after the Englishman defeated compatriot Joe Harvey in an exciting 36-hole final. The win featured in a 2020 season that saw him achieve top ten finishes in the Brabazon Trophy, South African Amateur Championship, South African Stroke Play Championship, African Amateur Stroke Play Championship and Tillman Trophy, as well as reaching the latter stages of the English Men’s Amateur Championship.
John Murphy
Earlier this year finished in the top ten at the Jones Cup Invitational and Mobile Bay Intercollegiate and recorded wins in the GCAA Amateur Series – Georgia and Dorado Beach Collegiate in 2020. Won the Bearcat Invitational and Mullingar Scratch Trophy two years ago and was the 2018 St Andrews Links Trophy winner. Has represented Ireland at the World Amateur Team Championships and European Amateur Team Championship and GB&I in the 2018 St Andrews Trophy.
Mark Power
Reached the semi-finals of The Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale last year as well as a runner-up finish in the Brabazon Trophy and top-five finishes in the Mullingar Scratch Trophy and Connacht Stroke Play Championship. Played for the winning International team in the Arnold Palmer Cup at Bay Hill. Has previously represented GB&I in the Jacques Leglise Trophy and Ireland in the European Amateur Team Championship and Men’s Home Internationals.
Ben Schmidt
Won the New South Wales Amateur in Australia last year and was second in the Avondale Amateur. Was also runner-up in the Tillman Trophy behind Matty Lamb. Rose to prominence in 2019 after winning the Brabazon Trophy, the Carris Trophy and the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters. Won the Lee Westwood Trophy in 2018. Has represented GB&I in the Jacques Leglise Trophy and England in the Men’s Home Internationals.
Sandy Scott
The Scotsman will make his second appearance in the Walker Cup after contributing 2½ points for GB&I in the match at Royal Liverpool in 2019. Reached the last 32 of the US Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes last year and also qualified for the US Open at Winged Foot. As a student at Texas Tech University, Scott won the 2019 El Macero Classic and The Carmel Cup.
Jack Dyer – first travelling reserve
Dyer will travel to Seminole as first reserve for the GB&I team following an impressive display of recent form. Competing in South Africa, he recorded four top-ten results including a runner-up finish in the South African Amateur Championship. Last year he won the South East of England Links Championship and finished fourth in the Brabazon Trophy. Playing for California State University, he recorded a runner-up result in the Orange County Collegiate Classic and third in the Sacramento State Invitational.
Jake Bolton – second travelling reserve
Bolton reached the semi-finals of The Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale last year, losing out to eventual champion Joe Long. Recorded top ten finishes in the Cape Province Open and South African Amateur Championship. In 2019, Bolton won the Scottish Amateur Stroke Play Championship and Hampshire Salver.
