Two Irish golfers have been selected for the Great Britain and Ireland team that will face off against the United States at the 50th Walker Cup in Cypress Point next month.
The County Louth pair of Stuart Grehan and Gavin Tiernan have both been picked while fellow Louth man Caolan Rafferty will be first reserve for the biennial match in California.
The top five players on the World Amateur Golf Ranking and five selections make up the squad. The team includes all nine players who won the St Andrews Trophy last month, including Luke Poulter, the son of Ian Poulter.
Grehan followed up his Flogas Irish Men's Amateur Open Championship success from Seapoint earlier this summer, with the AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship in Westport on Sunday.
Tiernan has also had a phenomenal season with the highlight coming at Royal St George’s when he made it all the way to the final of the 130th Amateur Championship before losing to American Ethan Fang.
Tiernan had confounded expectations by surging to the final. The 19-year old was ranked outside the top 1000 male amateur golfers in the world at 1340th but he beat higher-ranked opponents to set up the final meeting with Fang.
Their 36-hole battle was decided on the final green, under pressure Tiernan was left with a very long birdie putt which looked like it would drop but it agonisingly crept past the hole allowing Fang to take victory.
Fang will be part of a formidable USA outfit as they look to secure their fifth consecutive victory in the match, following their 14.5 to 11.5 win last time out at St Andrews.
The Great Britain and Ireland team are going in search of their first win in the match since 2015 and Golf Ireland high performance director, Neil Manchip, is excited to see the potential of this team.
"Selection for the Walker Cup is a huge honour for any player, and I’m absolutely delighted for Stuart and Gavin. To represent Great Britain and Ireland at a venue as special as Cypress Point is something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives," said Manchip.
"We had a very strong group of Irish players pushing for places again this year. Stuart’s form over the summer has been superb and Gavin has shown his quality at the very highest level of amateur golf too.
"Both have earned this opportunity and I know they will bring a lot to the team."
This year’s Walker Cup takes place between 6 and 7 September in Cypress Point.
2025 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team
Cameron Adam, Scotland, Royal Burgess, 22
Eliot Baker, England, Tiverton, 22
Dominic Clemons, England, Gog Magog, 23
Charlie Forster, England, Basingstoke, 22
Connor Graham, Scotland, Blairgowrie, 18
Stuart Grehan, Ireland, County Louth, 32
Luke Poulter, England, Woburn, 21
Niall Shiels Donegan, Scotland, Meadow Club, 20
Gavin Tiernan, Ireland, County Louth, 19
Tyler Weaver, England, Bury St Edmunds, 20
Reserve
Caolan Rafferty, Ireland, Dundalk, 32
