Hugh Foley and Matthew McClean will look to keep their Walker Cup hopes on the right track as they tee it up in a stellar field at this week’s 121st Western Amateur Championship.
Both players missed last week’s South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship in Lahinch because it clashed with the North Shore Country Club date.
The Western Amateur is the third oldest amateur golf event in the world having first been staged in 1899 and Foley and McClean will be hoping they can etch their names onto the trophy alongside some outstanding winners including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard, Ben Crenshaw and Jack Nicklaus.
The championship will be contested over 72 holes of strokeplay with a cut falling after 36 holes to reduce the field to the top-44 players and ties. The final 36 holes of qualifying will take place on Thursday with the top-16 progressing to the matchplay stages over the weekend.
McClean, the reigning US Mid-Amateur champion has played several events Stateside this year including the Masters and US Open while he also claimed a top-10 at the Azalea Invitational in April.
Foley meanwhile arrives following a fourth place finish at the European Amateur Championship in Estonia which gave his Walker Cup hopes a shot in the arm.
Both players will be using the week to prepare for the upcoming US Amateur Championship where they will be joined by Mark Power.
Western Amateur Tee Times HERE
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