Poulter Aims To Inspire Walker Cup Team - Including Son Luke

If location is 1 surname to onslaught fearfulness into American play it is surely "Poulter" pinch Ian having been astatine nan centre of truthful overmuch European occurrence connected a biennial basis.

Now it is nan move of nan Ryder Cup legend's 21-year-old boy Luke to effort to do thing akin and thwart US hopes of retaining nan Walker Cup astatine Cypress Point successful California this weekend.

Fresh from starring successful Great Britain & Ireland's triumph complete Continental Europe successful nan St Andrews Trophy, Poulter makes his debut successful nan 50th Walker Cup arsenic GB&I activity an distant triumph for only nan 3rd time.

Who amended to animate upsetting nan shape book than personification pinch nan genes of Poulter Snr, whose heroics helped Europe complete nan 'Miracle astatine Medinah' erstwhile they came from 10-4 down to triumph nan 2012 Ryder Cup.

Ian Poulter will beryllium supporting his boy complete nan 2 days of title having shared meal pinch him and his 9 team-mates earlier successful nan week.

"Being capable to talk to him astir nan Ryder Cup and his experiences, having nan chance to inquire him questions and what it intends and really to play these events, really to woody pinch nan unit has been truthful important," said Tyler Weaver, GB&I's highest classed player.

Team-mate Niall Shiels Donegan, who hit Luke Poulter astatine nan caller US Amateur Championship, added: "Dinner pinch Ian was really special.

"Obviously he's done a batch successful squad golf, and it was beautiful cool to get immoderate lessons from him."

Luke, who won three-and-a-half points retired of 4 astatine nan St Andrews Trophy, says he will effort to usage his father's exploits successful nan Ryder Cup - 15 wins from 25 matches betwixt 2004 and 2021- arsenic a motivating force.

"He ne'er played a Walker Cup but he evidently has Ryder Cup knowledge, which is beautiful akin to this," said nan younger Poulter, who had a hole-in-one astatine Cypress Point's par-three 3rd successful Thursday practice.

"It's astonishing to spot (his achievements). It gives maine inspiration to effort and travel successful his footsteps."

Having climbed to 27th successful nan amateur world rankings, nan University of Florida student has already demonstrated galore of his father's golfing traits. It is besides clear they stock nan aforesaid "never opportunity die" attitude.

"I conscionable for illustration that head-to-head conflict because it's conscionable you and nan force connected nan play course," he told nan R&A website. "You don't person to deliberation astir anything, you conscionable spell spread by spread and effort and hit them.

"And past pinch nan squad stuff, it's conscionable really cool. I conscionable emotion erstwhile everyone's supporting you and everyone's pulling for you."

GB&I mislaid a tight title astatine St Andrews 2 years agone and nan Walker Cup will again beryllium staged astatine an iconic venue this weekend. Cypress Point was designed by Alister Mackenzie, nan designer who laid retired nan Augusta National, location of nan Masters.

For Shiels Donegan location is simply a grade of familiarity. The boy of Scottish parents grew up adjacent San Francisco and received vociferous section support during his tally to nan US Amateur semi-finals astatine nan city's Olympic Club.

"I'm fortunate to person grown up not excessively acold from here, a fewer hours north, truthful I dream that they'll travel retired successful unit again and person immoderate much fun," he said.

"Having grown up connected nan poa greens, it does springiness maine a small spot of other feel, but of people they're going to beryllium moving patient and accelerated for everyone.

"You're going to person to accommodate to nan conditions arsenic you spot them, and yeah, conscionable do your champion that you can."

GB&I's astir caller triumph came astatine Royal Lytham and St Annes successful 2015. Their past distant triumph was astatine Sea Island successful Georgia 24 years ago.

So nan Americans are patient favourites to clasp nan trophy, but their skipper Nathan Smith is taking thing for granted. "I deliberation this is 1 of their champion teams that I've seen successful a while," he said.

"I deliberation nan matches are ever close, and it's going to beryllium a large trial for america this week."

Smith's squad is stacked pinch talent. It includes nan apical six successful nan amateur world rankings; Jackson Koivan, Ben James, Ethan Fang, Jase Summy, Preston Stout and Tommy Morrison.

GB&I skipper Dean Robertson has been taking a measured attack to nan week, pacing his players' preparations. He will beryllium encouraged by nan caller shape of Scot Cameron Adam, who vanished successful nan apical 20 astatine nan caller British Masters.

Robertson knows this play has to beryllium a corporate effort pinch an astute crippled plan. "The cardinal messages we've had person been strategy number one," nan Scottish skipper revealed.

"Approach play, short robust attack play and circumstantial distances wherever you request to position nan shot nether spread precocious person been things that we've been moving connected for a bully number of weeks.

"Also, done processing nan narration and knowing of these players and nan respect of them, we've really managed to bring them together, and there's a existent unity there.

"I'm really thrilled to beryllium their captain, really proud, and I'm really excited for nan lucifer itself."

There are 22 points up for grabs pinch GB&I needing 11½ points to regain nan title, while nan US request 11 to retain.

The title will beryllium made up of 4 foursome matches connected each morning, pinch 8 singles games connected Saturday day and 10 singles aft luncheon connected Sunday.