Scottish champion Euan McIntosh snubbed for Eisenhower Trophy

On-form Euan McIntosh has been left out of Scotland's three-man side for next month's World Amateur Team Championships at Carton House, near Dublin.
Turnhouse's Euan McIntosh is the man on form but has been overlooked for Scotland's three-man side for the upcoming World Amateur Team Championships in Ireland. Picture: Kenny SmithTurnhouse's Euan McIntosh is the man on form but has been overlooked for Scotland's three-man side for the upcoming World Amateur Team Championships in Ireland. Picture: Kenny Smith
Turnhouse's Euan McIntosh is the man on form but has been overlooked for Scotland's three-man side for the upcoming World Amateur Team Championships in Ireland. Picture: Kenny Smith

Winning the Scottish Amateur Championship at the age of 49 at Blairgowrie a week past Sunday hasn’t been enough to secure McIntosh a place in the team.

He knew that was the case before producing another strong performance to make a successful defence of the Amateur Gold Medal at Leven Links on Sunday.

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The spots for the Eisenhower Trophy event have gone instead to Ryan Lumsden (Royal Wimbledon), Euan Walker (Kilmarnock (Barassie)) and Sandy Scott (Nairn).

Lumsden, who qualified for the US Open at Shinnecock Hills earlier in June, was an automatic selection as the highest-placed player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

He’s currently 85th in the global standings, with Walker and Scott, who have both secured picks, sitting 185th and 222nd respectively.

No reference was made in a Scottish Golf press release announcing the teams of McIntosh, who jumped 220 spots to 325th in the WAGR on the back of his title triumph in Perthshire.

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“I didn’t get in the Eisenhower Trophy team,” he revealed last week of having been overlooked for the event won by a trio consisting of Wallace Booth, Gavin Dear and Callum Macaulay in Australia a decade ago.

“Well, yeah,” he added to being asked if he thought he’d done enough to merit selection for an event taking place on 5-8 September. “But is what it is.”

Named simultaneously, Scotland will be represented in the women’s equivalent, the Espitiro Santo Trophy, at the same venue the previous week by Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies), Hannah McCook (Grantown-on-Spey) and Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne).

“This is a tremendous opportunity for all these players because, for the most part, it will be the strongest field they will have played in and a world championships is the ultimate test in any sport,” said Scottish Golf’s newly-appointed performance director, Clare Queen.

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“It is always difficult to select a squad but we look at the results not just this season but year-on-year and examine stroke averages. We also have the ability through insight tools and the World Amateur Golf Rankings to assess performances based on the strength of the tournament fields in which they are playing, so that helps remove the subjectivity.

“Ryan has had a great experience having qualified for the US Open and has been playing consistently on the men’s side, while Connie played in the World Amateur Team Championships two years ago and is our highest-ranked female.

“I am confident all six players will give a good account of themselves and we look forward to testing ourselves against the best next month.”

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