THREE IRISH GOLFERS, including Amateur Championship winner James Sugrue, have been included in the Great Britain and Ireland team to face USA in next month’s Walker Cup.
22-year-old Sugrue delayed turning professional after his exploits at Portmarnock back in June to represent Great Britain and Ireland in the prestigious amateur event at Royal Liverpool on 7 and 8 September.
He will be joined by Conor Purcell, who won the Australian Amateur Championship last January, and 26-year-old Caolan Rafferty, who is the West of Ireland Championship winner.
Sugrue became just the eighth Irish winner of the Amateur Championship with a stunning one-hole win over Scotland’s Euan Walker earlier in the summer, and the pair will team up at Hoylake for Great Britain and Ireland’s bid to reclaim the trophy.
After winning at Portmarnock, Cork native Sugrue received exemptions for The Open and 2020 Masters and US Open.
“It has been a very difficult decision to select ten players for Great Britain and Ireland from a strong squad but we have been very impressed with the results of those we have picked and we believe they will give us the best chance of regaining the Walker Cup against a strong American team,” said captain Craig Watson.
“The Walker Cup is a fantastic opportunity for these amateur golfers to demonstrate their talents on the big stage and it will be an experience that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. We are looking forward to the match at Hoylake and I’m sure the players will give it their very best to win.”
2019 GB and Ireland Walker Cup team:
- Alex Fitzpatrick (Hallamshire)
- Conor Gough (Stoke Park)
- Harry Hall (West Cornwall)
- Thomas Plumb (Yeovil)
- Conor Purcell (Portmarnock)
- Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk)
- Sandy Scott (Nairn)
- Tom Sloman (Taunton & Pickeridge)
- James Sugrue (Mallow)
- Euan Walker (Kilmarnock).
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
