AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Former Augusta State standout
Wallace Booth has been named to the 2009 Walker Cup squad for Great
Britain & Ireland, according to an announcement Monday from the
Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
The selection will mark the third appearance by a former ASU player
in the Walker Cup. Former Jaguar All-American Jamie Elson played a
key role in GB&I’s 15-9 victory over the United States in
2001 at Ocean Forest Golf Club in Sea Island, Ga. The victory
marked the first time that the GB&I squad had successfully
retained the Walker Cup in the 79-year history of the event. Former
three-time All-American Oliver Wilson was a fixture on the winning
GB&I squad in 2003 when he posted a 2- 0-1 record as GB&I
claimed a 12.5 to 11.5 victory at Ganton Golf Club in North
Yorkshire, England.
The 2009 Walker Cup is scheduled for Sept. 11-13 at Merion Golf
Club in Ardmore, Pa., just outside of Philadelphia. Booth enjoyed a
solid career as a four-year letterman for the Jaguars, posting a
career-low 72.63 stroke average as a senior in 2006-07. He captured
the individual title at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate for
his first collegiate victory in March, 2007, and helped lead the
Jags to an appearance in the NCAA West Regional in Tempe, Ariz.
The Walker Cup, a biennial, match-play competition between the top
amateurs from Great Britain & Ireland and the United States, is
considered by many to be the most significant international match
in golf. The name of the contest derives from the trophy’s
donator, George Herbert Walker, president of the United States Golf
Association in 1920 and maternal grandfather of the 41st President
of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush, and maternal
great-grandfather of the 43rd President of the United States,
George W. Bush.
The U.S. leads the series 33-7-1, including consecutive wins in
2005 and 2007 after GB&I claimed victory in both 2001 and 2003.
The format features four morning foursome (alternate shot) matches
and eight afternoon singles matches each day.
Booth, from Perthshire, Scotland, will be joined on the team by
fellow Scot Gavin Dear, Tommy Fleetwood, Luke Goddard, Matt Haines,
Stiggy Hodgson, Sam Hutsby, Niall Kearney, Chris Paisley and Dale
Whitnell. All 10 members of the team are rookies.
Booth and Dear, the oldest members of the squad at 24 and 25,
respectively, were members of the Scottish three-man team which won
the World Amateur Team Championship last October. Reserves include
Paul O’Hara and Rhys Enoch. Colin Dalgleish is the captain
for the GB&I squad.
For more information on the 2009 Walker Cup, visit www.2009walkercup.org or
www.usga.org.
2009 Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup Team
WALLACE BOOTH, 24 (Scotland)
Gavin Dear, 25 (Scotland)
Tommy Fleetwood, 18 (England)
Luke Goddard, 21 (England)
Matt Haines, 19 (England)
Stiggy Hodgson, 18 (England)
Sam Hutsby, 19 (England)
Niall Kearney, 20 (Ireland)
Chris Paisley, 23 (England)
Dale Whitnell, 19 (England)
Captain: Colin Dalgleish