Golf: Page wins Walker Cup place

PAUL PAGE, of Dartford, yesterday won a surprise call-up to the Britain and Ireland amateur team which will try to win back the Walker Cup from the United States at Interlachen, Minneapolis, on 18 and 19 August.

The 21-year-old has not yet been capped for his country. He was second in the Amateur Championship six weeks ago, but was left out of England's six- man side for the European Amateur Championships in the Czech Republic last weekend.

Now Page has won a trip to the United States in preference to Lee James and Warren Bennett, two of the Englishmen who finished second to Wales in Marianske Lazne on Sunday.

Despite their success, Bradley Dredge is the only Welshman in the Walker Cup side, while England have five representatives, and Scotland and Ireland two each. One of the Irishmen, Padraig Harrington, is the sole survivor from the 14-10 Walker Cup defeat at Portmarnock in 1991.

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND WALKER CUP TEAM (to play US, 18-19 August, Interlachen, Minn): R Burns (Banbridge, Irl), S Cage (Sand Moor, Eng), B Dredge (Bryn Meadows, Wal), P Harrington (Stackstown, Irl), P Page (Dartford, Eng), I Pyman (Sand Moor, Eng), V Phillips (Stoke Poges, Eng), D Robertson (Cochrane Castle, Sco), R Russell (Longniddry, Sco), M Stanford (Saltford, Eng). Non-travelling reserves: N Anderson (Shandon Park, Irl), R Johnson (Cardiff, Wal). Non-playing captain: G Macgregor (Sco).