WILTSHIRE golfer Jordan Smith has been named in the Great Britain & Ireland team to defend the Walker Cup in New York next month.

Derry Hill ace Smith, who is based at the Bowood Golf & Country Club, is included in the 10-strong team picked by captain Nigel Edwards after a series of fine performances this year.

The 20 year old, coached at Bowood by Simon Shanks, won the Brabazon Trophy (English strokeplay title) earlier this summer and reached the latter stages of the recent English Amateur Championship.

He was also eighth in the St Andrews Links Trophy, tied ninth in the French Amateur Championship, tied fifth in the Spanish Amateur Championship and tied seventh in the Portuguese International Amateur Championships.

Smith, the 17th-ranked amateur in the world, also played in last week's US Amateur Championship, won by English compatriot Matthew Fitzpatrick, narrowly failing to reach the latter matchplay stages.

Great Britain and Ireland will defend the Walker Cup - the amateur men's equivalent of the Ryder Cup - they won at Royal Aberdeen in 2011 at the National Golf Links of America in Southampton, New York on September 7-8.

Edwards said, “We believe we have selected a strong team which includes some of the best amateur players in the world.

"The players have all competed at the highest levels of the amateur game and will relish the challenge of facing the Americans on their home soil.

“There will be some who are disappointed not to make the team but it is the job of the selectors to carefully consider the players available and select the strongest team they can.

"We are very much looking forward to what promises to be a great match next month.”

Fitzpatrick is included in the line-up, as is British Amateur champion Garrick Porteous (Northumberland).

Great Britain & Ireland: Matthew Fitzpatrick (Yorkshire), Nathan Kimsey (Lincolnshire), Gavin Moynihan (Dublin, Ireland), Max Orrin (Kent), Kevin Phelan (County Waterford, Ireland), Garrick Porteous (Northumberland), Rhys Pugh (Mid Glamorgan, Wales), Neil Raymond (Hampshire), Callum Shinkwin (Hertfordshire), Jordan Smith (Wiltshire).

Reserves: Greg Eason (Leicestershire), Ryan Evans (Northamptonshire).

Captain: Nigel Edwards.

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