Amateur champion Scott Gregory is among an initial 19-man GB&I Walker Cup squad named to face the USA at Los Angeles Country Club in September.
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who finished runner-up to Corhampton-based Gregory at Royal Porthcawl last June, and English amateur champion Dan Brown are also in the line-up announced by the R&A.
The 46th Walker Cup match will be played over the weekend of September 9 and 10 and GB&I will bid to retain the historic trophy after a record 16½ – 9½ victory at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2015.
Craig Watson, who captains the GB&I team for the first time, said: “We have identified a strong group of players who are all in contention for a place on the team and we will be monitoring their performance and results over the coming season.
“We will also pay close attention to the progress and form of players who have not been included in this current squad as they also have the opportunity to play their way into contention for the team selected to play the USA in September.”
A strong English contingent also includes Lytham Trophy champion Alfie Plant. Bradley Moore, Marco Penge and James Walker have also been selected.
MacIntyre is joined by fellow Scots Craig Howie, Sandy Scott and Connor Syme – his teammates in his nation’s successful defence of the 2016 European Amateur Team Championship – and compatriots Barry Hume and Craig Ross. Hume is a reinstated amateur following a spell in the professional ranks.
Colm Campbell, the current Irish Amateur Open Champion, is joined by Paul McBride, Conor O’Rourke and R&A Foundation scholars Alex Gleeson and Stuart Grehan from Ireland.
Two Welshmen have been selected for the squad: David Boote and Owen Edwards. The final 10-man team will be announced in August.
The GB&I squad:
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David Boote (Walton Heath, Surrey); Paul McBride (The Island, Dublin); Daniel Brown (Masham, Yorkshire); Bradley Moore (Kedleston Park, Derbyshire); Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint, County Down); Conor O’Rourke (Naas, County Kildare); Owen Edwards (Llanwern, Newport); Marco Penge (Golf at Goodwood, Sussex); Alex Gleeson (Castle, Dublin); Alfie Plant (Sundridge Park, Kent); Scott Gregory (Corthampton, Hampshire); Craig Ross (Kirkhill, Lanarkshire); Stuart Grehan (Tullamore, County Offaly); Sandy Scott (Nairn, Nairnshire); Craig Howie (Peebles, Borders); Connor Syme (Drumoig, Fife); Barry Hume (Haggs Castle, Glasgow); James Walker (Oaks, Yorkshire); Robert MacIntyre (Glencruitten, Argyll & Bute).
