Rookies galore as US defend Walker Cup

There must be something in the air to account for all this "rookie" business! Much has been made of the number of players' making Ryder Cup debuts on the European team in Brookline later this month, but the amateur equivalent - the Walker Cup, which takes place at Nairn in Scotland this weekend - features an even greater imbalance between experienced hands and newcomers.

Paddy Gribben, the sole Irishman on the British and Irish team, is one of eight players on the home side who will be making debut appearances in the event. And, at 30 years of age, Gribben is also the oldest debutant and third oldest in the 10-man team behind old hands Gary Wolstenholme, 38, and Graham Rankin, who is 33.

The high number of newcomers conforms to the trend of so many players pursuing professional careers once they have achieved what is arguably the pinnacle of amateur representative golf: In that regard, Wolstenholme, a career amateur in the truest tradition, is relatively unique in this day and age.

This will be his third successive Walker Cup appearances and, unquestionably, his finest moment came when he beat Tiger Woods at Royal Porthcawl in 1995 where Britain and Ireland (with Padraig Harrington and Jody Fanagan in the team) defeated the United States for only the fourth time in the event's history. The US leads the biennial series 31-4-1.

Nevertheless, an interesting trend is emerging in the make-up of the British and Irish team. Two years ago, when losing to the Americans at Quaker Ridge, Keith Nolan and Richard Coughlan, then golfing scholarship students in the USA, were on the British and Irish team. This year, four members of the B and I team have chosen to follow the American college route in furthering their golfing education: they are Scottish internationals Lorne Kelly and David Patrick, and Englishmen Luke Donald and Paul Casey.

Donald, in fact, is considered the leading light of the British and Irish team. He was voted "Player of the Year" in America this year and is well known to the visiting team.

Of the 10-man American team, eight are also making their Walker Cup debuts. Only Tim Jackson and Steve Scott have previously competed in the event which features two days of competition with four foursomes matches and eight singles matches on each day.

"We have a very solid looking team," claimed Britain and Ireland chairman of selectors Peter Benka. "As holders of the Eisenhower Trophy, we go into this match as world champions and I am very excited about our prospects. What counts now is to produce the right performance on the day and I am confident our experienced team captain, Peter McEvoy, can achieve this for the team."

Although only two Americans have Walker Cup pedigrees, the team has plenty of experience. For instance, Matt Kuchar, the 1997 US Amateur champion, has played a limited amateur schedule for the past two years, but has made his mark in some professional tournaments: he was tied 21st at last year's US Masters and 14th at the US Open while making the cut at three other US Tour events. This year, he made the cut at the US Masters and the Bay Hill Invitational.

Former French rugby great Jean Pierre Rives will add a touch of Gallic panache to the AIB Connemara Pro-Am next week. Rives, a member of the host club,is part of the visiting Kitty O'Shea's Paris team. . . but, for the professionals, there is an added incentive - apart from the winner's cheque - to do well. Western Motors Galway have put up an Audi A4 for any professional who manages a hole-in-one at the 11th hole.