Walker Cup slot secured

The 22-year-old has reiterated across this year that his main goal for the season was to make the Great Britain and Ireland side for the showdown at Los Angeles Country Club.

The R&A confirmed its team for the competition on Monday afternoon, listing the Drumoig amateur amongst its ranks.

The selection is testament to Syme’s form this campaign which includes a win at the Crail Battle Trophy, an Open Championship appearance and a quarter final finish at last week’s US Amateur Championship.

GB&I will be aiming to defend the trophy after securing a 16½-9½ victory in the 2015 match at Royal Lytham & St Annes; their biggest winning margin since the match was first played in 1922.

A ten-player team and two reserves have been named for the 2017 match with five Englishmen featuring alongside two Scots, two Welshmen and one player from Ireland.

The GB&I team includes The Amateur champion Harry Ellis, the Silver Medal Winner at The Open and European Amateur champion Alfie Plant, the Lytham Trophy champion Jack Singh Brar and the winner of the St Andrews Links Trophy Matthew Jordan.

Last year’s Amateur champion Scott Gregory is joined in the team by the man he defeated in the final Robert MacIntyre.

Craig Watson, who will be captaining the GB&I team for the first time in the match, said: “We have been very impressed with the performances of many of the GB&I players so far this season and it has been a difficult decision to select only ten players.

“The Walker Cup match is one of the highlights of the golfing calendar and a tremendous opportunity for the players to shine on such a big stage. The Americans will be determined not to lose two matches in a row but we have selected a strong team and I’m sure the players will give it their all to try to retain the trophy.”