Two Midlands golfers have been named to the GB & Ireland Walker Cup squad, earning a place in the 10-man side that will contest the trophy at Lahinch in County Clare this weekend. Ben Bolton, 19, and Sam Easterbrook, 21, join a team that includes several experienced names and two notable sporting sons, Luke Poulter and Tyler Weaver.
Bolton, from Wombourne and a regular at Enville, described selection as the fulfilment of a season-long target, saying "I'll be nervous, of course," and "I'm so excited just to be there - but to win it would be special." He called the Walker Cup "the pinnacle of amateur golf."
Easterbrook, from Tamworth and a player with an American college scholarship in Indiana, said his time in the United States has been transformational. "That has been the best experience of my life," he said, adding he could not "preach enough about how special it all is... the golf, the people... everything about the life out there." He plays his domestic golf at Olton, near Solihull.
The Midlands last provided a Walker Cup winner in 2015 when Ashley Chesters, from Shropshire, went unbeaten at Royal Lytham & St Annes, including a half against a young Bryson DeChambeau. The region has a strong pedigree in professional majors too, with Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam from Shropshire, Dame Laura Davies from Coventry and Alison Nicholas from Birmingham among its alumni.
Dean Robertson is the non-playing captain of this year's GB & Ireland team, which lists Eliot Baker, Ben Bolton, Sam Easterbrook, Connor Graham, Stuart Grehan, Josh Hill, Luke Poulter, Niall Sheils Donegan, Tyler Weaver and Jack Whaley. Several squad members are making debuts, while others carry previous Walker Cup experience.
The Walker Cup is contested over two days rather than three, with 26 points available across foursomes and singles. The United States hold the trophy and, as holders, would require 13 points to retain it. Historically the Americans have dominated the fixture, winning 40 of the 50 matches staged since 1922, with the British and Irish winning nine and one match tied.
The contest at Lahinch offers Bolton and Easterbrook a platform on golf's international amateur stage and a chance to contribute to a rare home victory against a longstanding American stronghold. The match play concludes this weekend with foursomes and singles deciding the outcome.
