Four Irish golfers included in the Walker Cup team

RETAINS HIS PLACE: Mark Power maintains his place on the Walker Cup team where he made his debut at Seminole. Pic: Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

Four Irish golfers have been included in the Great Britain and Ireland team who take on the United States in the Walker Cup in St Andrews next month. Mark Power, Matthew McClean, Alex Maguire and Liam Nolan have been named in the squad with Caolan Rafferty has been named in the reserves. 

The biennial tournament is taking place on the iconic Old Course marking 100 years since it was first played at the home of golf. The GB&I team is bidding to win the famous trophy for the first time since 2015 when they secured a 16½ - 9½ win at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Kilkenny golfer Mark Power maintains his place on the Walker Cup team where he made his debut at Seminole with a scorecard of 3-1-0.

Matthew McClean from Malone has had a great year to date. He played in the Masters at Augusta and the US Open following his win at the US Mid-Amateur last year. 30-year-old McClean is the oldest player selected on the team.

OLDEST TEAM MEMBER: Matthew McClean (Malone) has been named on the GB&I team for the Walker Cup. Pic: Thos Caffrey / Golffile

Laytown & Bettystown Alex Maguire played in this year's Open at Hoylake after winning the first-ever Open Amateur Series. He won the St Andrews Links Trophy along with the 2023 East of Ireland Amateur Open. 

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Alex Maguire is included in the GB&I team for the Walker Cup. Pic: Richard Sellers/PA Wire.

Galway's Liam Nolan won the South American Amateur in Ecuador and Branazon Trophy. Caolan Rafferty from Dundalk is one of two reserves for the 49th playing of the competition.

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND TEAM: Liam Nolan is part of the GB&I team for the Walker Cup. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

GB&I captain Stuart Wilson said “We have selected ten players who we believe will give us the best chance of regaining the Walker Cup against the United States of America.

“This is their opportunity to perform on the biggest stage in amateur golf and have their name written alongside some of the greatest names in the history of the sport by winning the Walker Cup. There is arguably no more iconic venue in the world to achieve that feat than on the Old Course in St Andrews.

“We look forward to the challenge of winning the match next week and I know these players will give it their all to win back the trophy in front of a home crowd.”

The GB&I team:

James Ashfield, Wales, Delamere Forest, 22 

Jack Bigham, England, Harpenden, 19 

Barclay Brown, England, Hallamshire, 22 

John Gough, England, The Berkshire, 24 

Connor Graham, Scotland, Blairgowrie, 16 

Alex Maguire, Ireland, Laytown & Bettystown, 22 

Matthew McClean, Ireland, Malone, 30 

Liam Nolan, Ireland, Galway, 23 

Mark Power, Ireland, Kilkenny, 23 

Calum Scott, Scotland, Nairn, 20 

Reserves 

Tyler Weaver, England, Bury St Edmunds, 18 

Caolan Rafferty, Ireland, Dundalk, 30