Walker Cup squad includes seven England Internationals

The R&A have announced the final Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup squad for 2009 and the ten man team includes seven England Internationals.

From the original squad of 28 players identified in February this year, the Walker Cup selectors have decided that Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall), Luke Goddard (Hendon), Matt Haines (Rochester & Cobham Park), Stiggy Hodgson (Sunningdale), Sam Hutsby (Liphook), Chris Paisley (Stocksfield) and Dale Whitnell (Five Lakes) should all form part of the final squad for this year’s match that will take place at Merion Golf Club, Pennsylvania, on 12 – 13 September. They will join two Scotsmen, Wallace Booth (Comrie) and Gavin Dear (Murrayshall), and one Irishman, Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin), to take on the USA.

Peter Mattsson, Director of Coaching for the English Golf Union (EGU), commented, “The players have worked very hard this year in all aspects of their game and I am really pleased to see their efforts pay off. These guys really do deserve to play in what is arguably the most prestigious amateur event there is.”

The selection will come as an extra bonus to Luke Goddard who won the English Amateur Championship last weekend just two days before the final squad was announced.

Tommy Fleetwood (picture © Tom Ward), has already represented GB&I at Boys level in the 2008 Jacques Leglise Trophy and this year has won the Scottish Open Amateur Stroke Play.

Sam Hutsby is GB&I’s highest ranked player in the R&A’s World Amateur Golf Ranking and was the runner up in this year’s British Amateur.

John Petrie, EGU Chief Executive added, “I am both proud and humbled to see seven of our top players selected for the Walker Cup, particularly considering the standard of the other Home Union teams. It’s going to be a tough match against the Americans this year but after speaking to the players I know they are all ready to rise to the challenge of bringing the Walker Cup back to GB&I and I wish Colin Dalgleish and all the players the best of luck.”

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