Scotland Announce Teams for World Amateur Team Championships
Aboyne Golf Club’s Shannon McWilliam
Scottish Golf has announced its teams for next month’s World Amateur Team Championships, at Carton House, Ireland.
Key members of last week’s winning Ladies Home Internationals team, Connie Jaffrey, Hannah McCook and Shannon McWilliam will represent the women’s side, while Ryan Lumsden, Sandy Scott and Euan Walker will team up in the men’s event.
The women will compete for the famous Espirito Santo Trophy (29 August – 1 September), with the men battling out for the coveted Eisenhower Trophy, which takes place from 5 – 8 September. The event is a 72-hole stroke play competition with the best two scores each day, counting towards the team score.
Clare Queen, Scottish Golf Performance Director: “This is a tremendous opportunity for all these players because, for the most part, it will be the strongest field they will have played in and a world championships is the ultimate test in any sport.
“It is always difficult to select a squad but we look at the results not just this season but year-on-year and examine stroke averages. We also have the ability through insight tools and the World Amateur Golf Rankings to assess performances based on the strength of the tournament fields in which they are playing, so that helps remove the subjectivity.
“Ryan has had a great experience having qualified for the US Open and has been playing consistently on the men’s side, while Connie played in the World Amateur Team Championships two years ago and is our highest-ranked female.
“I am confident all six players will give a good account of themselves and we look forward to testing ourselves against the best next month.”
Women
Troon Ladies’ Connie Jaffrey earned automatic selection as the top Scottish female on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (124th), coming off the back of a successful final year at Kansas State University, which included two wins. Hannah McCook (Grantown-on-Spey) and Aboyne’s Shannon McWilliam earned selectors’ picks.
McCook, produced some fantastic early season form to win both the Irish and Welsh Ladies Open Championships, while McWilliam represented team GB&I in the Curtis Cup in June, won the Border Championship in South Africa in February and had top-10 finishes in the Helen Holm Championship and Portuguese Amateur Championships.
Espirito Santo Trophy: Scotland Team (Club, Age, WAGR)
- Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies, 21, World Ranking 124)
- Hannah McCook (Grantown-on-Spey, 25, World Ranking 178)
- Shannon McWilliam (Aboybe, 19, World Ranking 208)
Euan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie) during day one of the Scottish Amateur Championship at Blairgowrie Golf Club
Pic Kenny Smith, Kenny Smith Photography
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Men
In the men’s event, this year marks the ten-year anniversary of Scotland’s first-ever world title victory, where Wallace Booth, Gavin Dear and Callum Macaulay were on top of the world in Adelaide, Australia, claiming an emphatic nine-stroke victory over a USA team featuring Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel.
Looking to emulate this feat are the trio lead by Ryan Lumsden (Royal Wimbledon), who earned automatic selection as the top ranked player in the world amateur rankings (85th). Earlier this year, the Northwestern University student superbly came through sectional US Open qualifying to tee it up at Shinnecock Hills in his first major championship.
Joining Lumsden is world amateur number 185, Kilmarnock Barassie’s Euan Walker. The Ayrshire man produced some fine form this year which has included Top-20 finishes at the St Andrews Links Trophy, Brabazon Trophy and Lytham Trophy.
Completing the line-up is Nairn’s Sandy Scott (World Amateur Number 222). The Texas Tech student finished 14th at the St Andrews Links Trophy and reached the last 32 of the British Amateur Championship.
Eisenhower Trophy: Scotland Team (Club, Age, WAGR)
- Ryan Lumsden (Royal Wimbledon, 21, World Ranking 85)
- Euan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie, 22, World Ranking 185)
- Sandy Scott (Nairn, 20, World Ranking 222)
The Scotland teams are sponsored by Aberdeen Standard Investments.
