Captain Gary Alliss believes the fierce Dundonald Links has armed him with a PGA Cup team equipped to recapture the Llandudno Trophy.
The Great Britain & Ireland line-up to face America at The Carrick on Loch Lomond in September (18-20) was decided at the conclusion of the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship and includes Paul Wesselingh who will be making his sixth successive appearance.
The side also includes newly-crowned Glenmuir champion James Lee (Caerphilly) who admitted it had always been a target to make a PGA Cup team.
"I've got so many friends who've played in the PGA Cup over the years and it's always been a goal so to finally make a team is fantastic," he said.
Veteran PGA Cup man Wesselingh from Kedleston Park will be joined by Andrew Barnett (North Wales Golf Range) and Jon Bevan (Wessex Golf Centre) - team-mates of Wesselingh from the team that narrowly lost in Georgia two years ago.
Alliss, who presided over that 13½-12½ defeat, has vowed to win back the famous silver Llandudno Trophy and admitted he was delighted with the make-up of the 2009 team.
"Dundonald Links was a tough, tough test and the strength of the course means we've got a really strong set of players that have qualified for the team," he said.
"Watching these guys like Paul Wesselingh battle it out shows not only that they can play but also reveals character and that gives me great confidence that we can take on the Americans at The Carrick on Loch Lomond and reclaim the Llandudno Trophy."
The rest of the team includes another player with PGA Cup experience, last year's Glenmuir champion Paul Simpson (West Berkshire) who played in 1998 while making his first bow in the biennial contest is former Walker Cup player Jeremy Robinson (Twyford Golf Range) who has five top five finishes on the European Tour to his name.
Tonbridge Golf Centre's James Harris - winner of both the Carris and McEvoy trophies - earned selection with a stunning last round 67 at Dundonald Links while another debutant will be Barry Taylor (Houghwood) - winner of four successive Lancashire Matchplay title.
Craig Matheson (Falkirk and Tryst) - who only started playing at 15 and has never had a lesson - will be Scotland's sole representative, describing himself as 'totally chuffed' at making the team while Garstang's Will Barnes - a regular winner across the Midland circuit before his move to the north region - makes up the team to take on America in the 24th PGA Cup matches.
20 June, 2009