Hill to fly the flag for Ireland at Jacques Léglise Trophy

The Great Britain and Ireland boys team to face the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Léglise Trophy at Falsterbo Golf Club, Sweden from 27–28 August has been announced with Galgorm Castle’s Joshua Hill flying the flag for Ireland.

The nine player GB&I team is:

Scotland’s Cameron Adam has been appointed as playing Captain of the side, with the team being managed by Chris King. The side is aiming to win back the trophy after losing at Aldeburgh in 2019.

Adam said, “It is a great honour to be named as captain of Great Britain and Ireland and I am very much looking forward to leading the team against the Continent of Europe as we aim to win back the trophy.

“We know that it will be a close match but we have a talented group of players who have delivered excellent results this season and so we are confident of our chances next week.”

Adam featured in the mixed Scotland team which finished runner-up in the R&A Boys’ and Girls’ Home Internationals earlier this month and reached the quarter-finals of the R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship. He won the Faldo Series England North Championship last year and the 2019 Scottish Boys U16 Open Championship at his home course of Royal Burgess.

He is joined by Archie Finnie, also a member of Royal Burgess, who has won the Scottish Boys’ Amateur Championship at Bruntsfield and the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Trophy at Castle Park this year and also played alongside Adam at Woodhall Spa earlier this month.

Bigham had a week to remember after winning the R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship at Royal Cinque Ports, defeating Italy’s Riccardo Fantinelli on the first extra hole in yesterday’s final. He made it to the last 16 of The Amateur Championship at Nairn earlier this season as well as top 10 finishes in the English Men’s Amateur Championship and Carris Trophy.

Bigham also played in the mixed England team that won the R&A Boys’ and Girls’ Home Internationals alongside Harley Smith, who has enjoyed a prolific season having won the Carris Trophy and McGregor Trophy, and Josh Hill. Hill has enjoyed top 10 finishes in the St Andrews Links Trophy and English Men’s Amateur Championship this season and is a former Abu Dhabi Amateur champion.

Ruben Lindsay is a former Scottish Boys’ Amateur champion and last year he won the ProDreamUSA UK Junior Open and Faldo Series Scotland Championship. He finished in the top five at the St Andrews Links Trophy earlier this year.

His compatriot, Daniel Bullen, reached the semi-finals of the R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship and won the ProDreamUSA Pollok Junior Masters earlier this year. He played for Scotland in the R&A Boys’ and Girls’ Home Internationals this month and was the winner of the England North East Championship in 2020.

14-year-old Connor Graham won the Barrie Douglas Scottish Junior Masters and Paul Lawrie Foundation Junior Jug this season, as well as clinching a runner-up spot in the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Trophy and was a semi-finalist in the Scottish Men’s Amateur Championship.

The 2019 McGregor Trophy champion, Joshua Hill, is also included and has recorded a runner-up finish in the Connacht U18 Boys Open and fifth in the South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship in 2021.

GB&I last won the match in 2018 at Kytäjä Golf, Finland thanks to a 15½-9½ triumph, with the Continent of Europe winning the previous two matches at Ballybunion and Prince’s.

Since the Jacques Léglise Trophy was first contested in 1958, GB&I has won 29 matches overall with the Continent of Europe claiming 13 victories with one match tied.

The format for the Jacques Léglise Trophy is four foursomes matches each morning with eight singles matches on the afternoon of Friday 27 August and nine singles matches on the afternoon of Saturday 28 August.