McKibbin and Power make Jacques Léglise Trophy team
Tom McKibbin (Ulster) driving at the 16th tee during the opening day of the Boys Interprovincial Matches at Slieve Russell Golf Resort (24/07/2018). Picture by Pat Cashman
Kilkenny's Mark Power and Holywood's Tom McKibbin have been named in the Great Britain and Ireland team to face the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Léglise Trophy.
The match will take place at Kytäjä Golf in Finland from 31 August to 1 September with the GB&I team managed for the second time by former British Amateur champion, Stuart Wilson.Power's selection means he can no longer tee it up for Leinster in the Interprovincial Championship at Athenry and has been replaced by Elm Park's Charlie Denvir with Castleknock's Paul Coughlan named as Non-travelling Reserve.
GB&I will be looking to win back the trophy after the Continent of Europe won by 15 ½ to 9 ½ at Ballybunion in Ireland last year with Power as captain.
GB&I last won the match in 2014 at Barsebäck in Sweden while the 2015 match at Royal Dornoch finished in a 12 ½ - 12 ½ tie.
The Continent of Europe won a close encounter by 13 ½ to 11 ½ at Prince’s in Kent in 2016.
GB&I has won 28 matches overall with the Continent of Europe claiming 12 victories with one match tied.
With seven new players in the GB&I team, Wilson will be looking to the only two returning members of the 2017 team for experience.
Mark Power. Picture: R&A
Power and Robin Williams led the qualifiers at the 92nd Boys Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush and Portstewart last week and will be eager to make amends for the defeat suffered at Ballybunion.
Among the newcomers is the newly-crowned Boys Amateur Champion Conor Gough, who was the first reserve in 2017.
The 15-year-old Englishman defeated Spain’s Jose Luis Ballester 3&1 in the final at Royal Portrush yesterday to claim his third win of the season after taking the McGregor Trophy in July and the boys’ title at the Fairhaven Trophy earlier in the year.
The format for the Jacques Léglise Trophy match is four foursomes ties each morning, eight singles matches on the afternoon of Friday 31 August and nine singles matches on the afternoon of Saturday 1 September.
Great Britain and Ireland
- Barclay Brown (17) (Captain) Hallamshire, England
- Archie Davies (17) Carlisle, Wales
- Conor Gough (15) Stoke Park, England
- Max Hopkins (15) Bishops Stortford, England
- Tom McKibbin (15) Holywood, Ireland
- Connor McKinney (16) Joondalup, Scotland
- Joseph Pagdin (16) Lake Nona, England
- Mark Power (18) Kilkenny, Ireland
- Robin Williams (16) Peterborough Milton, England
Reserves:
- Harry Goddard (17) Hanbury Manor, England
- Harrison Arnold (18) Castle Royle, England
Leinster team for Interprovincial Championship:
Robert Brazill (Naas); Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan); Charlie Denvir (Elm Park); Alan Fahy (Dunlaoghaire) Robert Moran (Castle); Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk); Eugene Smith (Laytown & Bettystown); Jonathan Yates (Naas). Non-travelling Reserve – Paul Coughlan (Castleknock).
Team Captain, Seamus McParland (Greenore); Team Manager, John Cullen (Enniscorthy).
