Irish quartet named on Walker Cup team

Irish quartet Alex Maguire, Matthew McClean, Liam Nolan and Mark Power have been included in the Walker Cup team that will compete against USA at St Andrew's next month.

The biennial encounter will take place on the old course on 2-3 September where GB & Ireland are hoping to lift the trophy for the first time since 2015.

Laytown & Bettystown member Maguire played in this year’s Open after winning the first-ever Open Amateur Series. He also won the St Andrews Links Trophy and East of Ireland Amateur Open in 2023.

Malone man McClean, making his Walker Cup debut, competed in both the Masters and the US Open and recorded top-ten finishes in the South African Amateur, East of Ireland Amateur Open and Brabazon Trophy.

Nolan, a member of the Galway club, makes his Walker Cup debut thanks to a fine season in which the member of Ireland’s national team has won the South American Amateur in Ecuador and Brabazon Trophy and reached the last 64 in The Amateur Championship at Hillside.

Kilkenny golfer Power is making his second Walker Cup appearance having went 3-1-0 in 2021 at Seminole and was 2-0-0 in foursomes with John Murphy.

Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty is listed amongst the reserves.

Captain: Stuart Wilson

Team: James Ashfield, Jack Bigham, Barclay Brown, John Gough, Connor Graham,Alex Maguire, Matthew McClean, Liam Nolan, Mark Power, Calum Scott.