Ireland declare side for European team amateur golf championship

The Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) have named five Walker Cup squad members in their six-man side for the European Amateur Team Championship, which gets underway at Diamond CC, Austria on Tuesday, July 11th.

Team captain Tony Goode (Lucan) confirmed the Golfing Union of Ireland selection with Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint), Robin Dawson (Tramore), Stuart Grehan (Tullamore), John Ross Galbraith (Whitehead), Paul McBride (The Island) and Conor O’Rourke (Naas) vying for the European title last won by Ireland in 2008.

There is just one change from the team that finished sixth at last year’s championship: Tramore’s Robin Dawson makes his European debut after a season that has seen him scale the world rankings thanks to a hat-trick of runner-up finishes.

With Walker Cup selection looming, this year’s championship represents one of the last chances for players to impress the Great Britain and Ireland selectors.

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Diamond Country Club is situated some 50km west of Vienna, and has hosted the Lyoness Open on the European Tour since 2010. The top eight teams after two rounds of stroke play qualifying will progress to Flight A – and compete for the title across three days and three match play contests.

Team captain Tony Goode will be joined by team manager Niall MacSweeney (Athenry) and GUI national coach Neil Manchip to guide the team in Austria. Scotland are the defending champions and are seeking their third win in as many years.

Ireland have been victorious on six previous occasions: 1965, 1967, 1983, 1987, 2007 and 2008. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry played on the winning team at Scotland in 2007 and Lowry played again, at Italy in 2008, when Ireland completed the double.