England Golf has named the eight players who will represent the country against France in the biennial international match at Moortown Golf Club, scheduled for 11-12 May.
The format consists of four foursomes matches in the mornings, followed by eight singles matches in the afternoons.
England has dominated this event historically, winning 26 of the 31 contests, and they secured a 13.5-10.5 victory in the previous match held at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Breteche.
This year’s squad comprises eight top players from around the country, each bringing a wealth of experience and success to the team.
Eliot Baker (Tiverton, Devon) has had a successful 2024 so far with several top-20 finishes and a top-five result at the R&A Student Tour Series Final.
He was also part of the England team for the Octagonal Match in Spain earlier this year.
Ben Bolton (Enville, Staffordshire) is another key player, having achieved notable finishes at the Portuguese International Amateur and Junior Orange Bowl International in 2024.
His 2023 season included a win at the Faldo Series Grand Final and the European Young Masters.
Ben Brown (Romanby, Yorkshire) is the 2023 English Amateur champion and has already had success in 2024 with a top-10 finish at the South American Amateur. He represented England at the Octagonal Match in Spain.
Zach Chegwidden (Orsett, Essex) brings solid performances from 2023, including a third-place finish at the Scottish Men’s Open Championship and top-10 results at the Cape Province Open and Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship.
He’s also had a top-20 finish at the Australian Men’s Amateur Championship in 2024.
James Claridge (Enville, Staffordshire) enjoyed a strong 2023 with wins at the Berkhamsted Trophy and the West of Ireland Men’s Amateur Open Championship.
He was part of England’s squad for several international matches and team championships.
Will Hopkins (Belton Park, Lincolnshire) has already had a tied-3rd place finish at the European Nations Cup in 2024 and was unbeaten at the Men’s County Finals in 2023.
He’s also represented England in various team championships and reached the quarter-finals of the English Amateur Championship.
Dylan Shaw-Radford (Huddersfield, Yorkshire) was a runner-up at the Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship in 2023 and was part of the Yorkshire team that finished second at the Boys’ County Finals. He represented GB&I at the Jacques Leglise Trophy.
Harley Smith (The Rayleigh, Essex) won the Sunningdale Foursomes alongside Shaw-Radford earlier this year.
In 2023, he had top-10 finishes at the Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship and other pro events in Portugal and Thailand.
England Golf Performance Director Nigel Edwards said: “We are looking forward to another competitive match against France.
In our last fixture we had our backs against the wall and performed very well in the singles matches.
“France will be strong and, I’m sure, inspired by the recent performances of Mattieu Pavon on the PGA Tour, but this is a great opportunity for our players to test their match play skills and put in a strong showing ahead of team selection for this summer’s European Men’s Team Championship in Italy.”
However, Edwards sees the competition as a valuable opportunity for the players to test their skills ahead of team selections for the European Men’s Team Championship in Italy this summer.
The upcoming match is expected to be competitive, with both teams bringing their best players to the field.
It will provide valuable experience for the England players as they aim to continue their winning tradition against France.
