Every cloud has a silver lining.
Following the grim tidings that there will be no Scot in the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team for the first time in over 60 years, there was better news on the junior front last night.
The nine-man GB&I squad for the Jacques Leglise Trophy encounter with the Continent of Europe will include four tartan lads who have all made impressive strides on the under-18 scene this season.
Ewen Ferguson's thumping victory in the Boys' Amateur Championship at Hoylake on Sunday was a major boost to morale, before the anticipated woe of the Walker Cup announcement was confirmed on Monday morning, and, as expected, the Bearsden youngster has earned a GB&I call-up for the contest at Royal St David's next weekend.
He will be joined in the team by the impressive Glencruitten left-hander Robert MacIntyre, winner of the Scottish Youths' and Scottish Boys' Strokeplay championships.
Blairgowrie's Bradley Neil, the Scottish Boys' Matchplay champion who earned senior honours for Scotland in the European Team Championship and the Home Internationals, retains his place. There is also a spot for Connor Syme, who retained his Paul Lawrie Scottish Schools' title.
The European team, winners at Portmarnock last year, will have two players out for revenge on Ferguson. Germany's Michael Hirmer went down 10 & 9 to the Scot in the final at Hoylake while Italy's Renato Parotore, the European Young Masters champion in 2012, succumbed to Ferguson in the fourth round.
Peter McEvoy, the chairman of the Royal & Ancient selectors, said, "We have some very talented young players in the team and are confident we can regain the trophy. They have all played in the Boys' Home Internationals and playing in the Jacques Leglise Trophy will give them more experience of team competition."
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