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| Gavin Moynihan - Getty Images |
A 21 player Great Britain and Ireland squad has been announced for the St Andrews Trophy match at Barsebäck Golf and Country Club in Sweden on 29 and 30 August, 2014.
The nine-man team that will face the Continent of Europe in the biennial match will be named in mid-August.
Four players will bring valuable Walker Cup experience to the squad including Matthew Fitzpatrick, who recently made his Masters Tournament debut, and Rhys Pugh who played on the GB&I side in both 2011 at Royal Aberdeen and in 2013 at the National Golf Links of America in Southampton, New York.
Greg Eason, who is currently ranked third in the WORLD AMATEUR GOLF RANKING™, and reigning European Amateur champion Ashley Chesters bring depth to the squad, along with talented young players Sam Horsfield and 2013 Scottish Boys champion Bradley Neil.
Nigel Edwards will captain the team for the third time as GB&I look to reclaim the trophy after the Continent of Europe’s narrow 12½ – 11½ victory at Portmarnock in 2012.
“We have announced a strong squad for this year’s match,” said Edwards, a playing member of the victorious St Andrews Trophy teams in 2002, 2004 and 2006. “The final selection of the team for the St Andrews Trophy match will be dependent on performances and, therefore, players who are not named in this squad have every chance of playing their way on to the team. I am confident that the team we select will mount a real challenge for the trophy in Sweden.”
The St Andrews Trophy is the biennial men’s match which will be played alongside the annual boys’ match, the Jacques Leglise Trophy, at Barsebäck on 29 and 30 August. The St Andrews Trophy has been played alternately on British/Irish and mainland European courses since 1956. Great Britain and Ireland have won on 24 occasions and the Continent of Europe has won five times, including the 2010 and 2012 matches.
The 2014 GB&I squad is:
Tomasz Anderson (Brocket Hall) – Welwyn Garden City, England
Ashley Chesters (Hawkstone Park) – Wem, England
Greg Eason (Kirby Muxloe) – Leicester, England
Ryan Evans (Wellingborough) – Wellingborough, England
Matthew Fitzpatrick (Hallamshire) – Sheffield, England
Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) – North Berwick, Scotland
Sam Horsfield (Davenport, USA) – Manchester, England
Paul Howard (Southport & Ainsdale) – Southport, England
Jack Hume (Naas) – Naas, Ireland
Gary Hurley (West Waterford) – Aglish, Ireland
Nick Marsh (Huddersfield) – Elland, England
Jimmy Mullen (Royal North Devon) – Devon, England
Gavin Moynihan (The Island) - Dublin, Ireland
Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) – Troon, Scotland
Dermot McElroy (Ballymena) – Ballymena, Northern Ireland
Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie) – Perthshire, Scotland
Rhys Pugh (Pontypridd) – Pontypridd, Wales
James Ross (Royal Burgess) – Edinburgh, Scotland
Ewan Scott (St Andrews) – St Andrews, Scotland
Jordan Smith (Bowood) – Calne, England
Ben Taylor (Walton Heath) – Leatherhead, England
