County trio take on Europe’s best

Jun 19 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

EISENHOWER Trophy champions Gavin Dear and Wallace Booth will be spearheading Scotland’s campaign when they take on their continental rivals at the European Amateur Team Championship which gets underway in Wales at the end of this month.

As revealed by PA Sport last week, they will be joined at Conwy Golf Club in Wales from June 30 to July 4 by Glenn Campbell.

The Perthshire trio will hope to boost Scotland’s chances of dominating at European level.

Dear (Murrayshall) has enjoyed significant success since Scotland’s triumph in Australia last October, winning the Dixie Men’s Amateur Championship just several months later and this year, winning the Craigmillar Park Open, the AIB Irish Amateur Strokeplay Championship and more recently finishing runner up in the Bidwells Scottish Strokeplay Championship.

Booth (Comrie), the former Stroke Play champion has pulled off a number of strong performances including finishing runner up to Dear in Ireland which has left him in the upper reaches of the current SGU Order of Merit standings.

This week the pair suffered disappointment at the Amateur Championship in Formby.

Booth failed to make the matchplay knockout stages. Dear thrived during the first two rounds, with cards of 69 and 71. In the knock-out phase the Scone player lost 2&1 to American Steve Ziegler.

But like Dear, Booth’s form has earned him a place as one of seven Scots selected for this year’s GB&I Walker Cup Squad.

The third player from the Big County – Blairgowrie’s Campbell – is a former Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Champion and winner of this year’s Scottish Champion of Champions.

Commenting on the team, SGU national coach Ian Rae said: “The players selected have a proven track record of competing in strong international fields and achieving world class results.

“The team can build upon their recent success and with Scotland’s history of punching above our weight against other leading golfing nations, I am confident we can again provide a strong challenge for the medal positions in this tournament. ”

CARLY Booth has been overlooked by GB and Ireland selectors for the team to face the Continent of Europe in Hamburg next month.

It’s a rare setback for the Comrie player who became the youngest ever home Curtis Cup star last year.

The teenager has missed out on the nine-strong team listed for Germany.

Instead, Carly - who toasts her 17th birthday this weekend – has had to settle for a reserve spot.

But she was boosted by inclusion in an SLGA six-strong team for the European amateur team championships in Slovenia from July 7-11.

Surprisingly, British champion Roseanne Niven from Crieff is listed as a reserve.