Nigel Edwards (Whitchurch)
Rhys Enoch (Truro)
Oliver Farr (Ludlow)
Adam Runcie (Abergele)
Joe Vickery (Newport)
Ben Westgate (Trevose)
Non Playing Captain - Carl Rowe
Nigel Edwards. Aged: 40. Club: Whitchurch.
Nigel has been an ever-present in the GB and Ireland team for the Walker Cup since 2001, his four appearances are a Welsh record, twice being on the winning team in 2001 and 2003.
He was South African Amateur champion and European Nations Cup champion in 2006 and a member of the Wales team that won the Home Internationals in 2002.
Nigel has represented Wales since 1995 and has also represented Europe in the Bonallack Trophy against Asia/Pacific four times from 2002. He has represented GB and I three times in the St Andrews Trophy.
He doubles up being one of Wales’s best amateur golfers with helping to run the game as the Director of Player Development and Coaching for the Golf Union of Wales, taking advantage of his superb knowledge of what it takes to get to the top to help guide others.
He credits Ryder Cup star Phil Price with helping him make the move onto the highest amateur stages. “He helped me enormously to move from a County player into an International and Walker Cup player. He showed me how to get better smarter.”
Rhys Enoch. Age: 21. Club: East Tennessee University/Truro.
Rhys has emerged as one of the stars on the US College circuit over the last 12 months, he is now in his second year at East Tennessee State University.
He was part of the three man Wales team for the World Amateur, having also represented Great Britain and Ireland at Boys level.
He won the Shoal Creek Intercollegiate last year and was named the Atlantic Sun Golfer of the Month in the Us on the back of that success. He was also named as the A-Sun Conference Freshman of the Year after bursting onto the college scene with three top seven finishes in his first four events.
He is studying sports management. Rhys is the elder brother of Ben Enoch, his fellow Wales international who died so tragically in a car crash this year.
Oliver Farr. Age: 21. Club: Ludlow.
Oliver is also a son of a golf professional – father Graham played in The Open Championship in 1990 and 1993, as well as captaining and playing for Wales as a club pro.
Oliver was very close to following in his father’s footsteps, reaching final qualifying for the Open in both 2007 and 2008. This year the European Amateur Team Championships will clash with another attempt.
He won the Aberconwy Trophy last year and was selected to represent Wales in the Home Internationals. There he beat Shane Lowry in the singles, the Irishman won on the European Tour as an amateur before turning professional this summer.
Farr has also won the Shropshire and Hereford County Trials a record three times in a row. He counts a hole in one on a par 4 among his other achievements.
He is inspired by the Ryder Cup. “Whenever it is on TV it makes me practice that much harder so I can be there playing against the best players in the world in front of millions of people.”
Adam Runcie. Age: 20. Club: Abergele.
Adam Runcie was always likely to become a good golfer, his father is the golf professional at Abergele golf club a few miles along the coast from Conwy, his mother played for Wales as a girl international and his brother has represented Wales. Dad Iain is also Adam’s coach.
Adam played for Wales Juniors in the Home Internationals from 2003-2006, in the European Boys 2004-2006, representing Great Britain and Ireland Boys in 2006 and winning his singles point.
He is a Wales Boys champion and moved smoothly into the senior ranks, playing in the Home Internationals in 2007 and 2008.
His talents are not just evident in golf, however, he is also a black belt in karate.
Last year he was affected by an adverse reaction to some tablets which affected his joints, concentration and energy levels, but he has bounced back this season.
His biggest sporting influence is not a bad role model. “Tiger Woods has added so many aspects to the game, mentally, physically and technically.”
Joe Vickery. Age: 20. Club: Newport.
Joe reached the semi-finals of the British Amateur Championship last summer, losing narrowly to eventual champion Reiner Saxton of the Netherlands. In the quarter-finals, he beat fellow Wales international James Frazer.
A talented footballer who played to county level, his golf took him to the Boys Home Internationals and European Boys Team Championships in 2006 and 2007. He graduated to the Men’s Home Internationals last year as well as representing Wales in the Portugal Nations Cup.
This season he showed his form by finishing 3rd in the Brabazon Trophy nwith a final round of 68 at Moortown.
He credits his father for helping him develop so well. “My Dad played county golf for 25 years and still plays off scratch. I learned from his mistakes in his younger days and he guided me into the player I am now.”
Ben Westgate. Age: 29. Club: Trevose.
Welsh Amateur champion Ben Westgate has come to international amateur golf comparatively late thanks largely to completing his academic studies. He will almost certainly have more letters after his name than any other player, with BSc (Hons) Surveying and Earth Resources, MSc – Engineering Geology, PhD – Coastal erosion risk assessment, PgDip – Contemporary Visual Art.
Ben represented English and British Universities, winning the British Universities title in 2001 and then the team title with Exeter University’s team in 2005.
He first represented Wales in 2004 at the Home Internationals. He played in the European Amateur Team Championships last year as well as the World Amateur. This season he has shared the Duncan Putter and the Trubshaw Cup titles, as well as coming second in the Lytham Trophy.
Ben was brought up in Cornwall, but his father is from Swansea and played rugby for Mumbles. He helped forge the young Ben’s determined attitude. “When I was 14 he told me that I couldn’t come home unless I won. I finished 2nd and didn’t go home until Mum came to collect me. This gave me the motivation and determination to succeed.”