\n Mr Robertson was a member of the 1993 Walker Cup team, winning his singles match in an ultimate defeat for GB&I at\u00a0Interlachen Country Club in Minnesota. Here he explains why he believes this year’s team can take what would be just their third win ever on US soil.\n<\/p>\n
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\n What will it take to \u201cpull off a miracle\u201d at Cypress Point?<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n We are massive underdogs on paper, yes, and there are many who say we have absolutely no chance \u2013\u00a0however, it is not played on paper, and I am 100% confident that we, as a team, are perfectly equipped to compete at the highest level.\n<\/p>\n \n We are heading to Cypress Point to set a new standard, embrace the challenge, honour the legacy of the Walker Cup and make history!\u00a0Our journey is grounded on three key pillars: preparation, togetherness, execution.\n<\/p>\n \n Cypress Point is a masterpiece and unique examination that demands in five key areas: strategic intelligence, short iron approach precision, world-class putting, exceptional short game and the ability to be bulletproof.\n<\/p>\n \n What were the difficulties in choosing your team?<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n It has been a lot of work over the last 20 months, however, it hasn\u2019t been difficult \u2013\u00a0it has been fun as I have meticulously selected this year\u2019s Great Britain & Ireland team, leveraging an unparalleled understanding of each player\u2019s game, personality, and ability to meet the unique skill set demanded at Cypress Point.\n<\/p>\n \n \n This is an\u00a0exceptional group:\u00a0Cameron Adam, Eliot Baker, Dominic Clemons, Charlie Forster, Connor Graham, Stuart Grehan, Luke Poulter, Niall Sheils Donegan, Gavin Tiernan and Tyler Weaver. They represent\u00a0the very best in skill, unity, resilience and determination. We are a team and no single player is greater than the team.\n<\/p>\n \n How does this job rank for you among your other golfing achievements?<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n This has undoubtably been the most fun I have ever had in my golfing career. I am beyond honoured to be the captain and to stand alongside each of the players as we prepare to represent Great Britain and Ireland. We will continue to build on the special foundations forged together in Madrid at the St Andrews Trophy, where I can only describe them as a “band of brothers”.\n<\/p>\n \n In your opinion, has the amount of money\u00a0in\u00a0men\u2019s professional golf been a detriment to top-flight amateur events such as the Walker Cup?<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n Money plays no part in the conversation with regard to the Walker Cup or the Curtis Cup,\u00a0and these team\u00a0events demonstrate the purest celebration of our royal and ancient game.\n<\/p>\n \n \n How did you come to head up golf at the University of Stirling?<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n The position became available in 2010 and I was interviewed by the then director of sport Peter Bilsborough,\u00a0and the head of performance sport at the time, Raleigh Gowrie.\n<\/p>\n \n Both were tremendous mentors to me early in my university career and our vision was for the University of Stirling to become one of the leading university performance golf programmes in the world. This was highlighted the last time GB&I won the Walker Cup in 2015 at Royal Lytham & St Annes,\u00a0where two of our male golfing athletes, Jack McDonald and Cormac Sharvin, were part of that victorious team.\n<\/p>\n \n So what does you “day job” entail?<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n The University of Stirling’s high-performance golf programme is a twin-tracked approach with a primary objective to enable international golfing talent the opportunity to successfully combine their academic studies with their on-course achievements. Basically, we are about developing a player’s skill, habit and mindset with the ability to perform under pressure and as like all other performance sports and in life, it is about results.\n<\/p>\nGB&I’s last victory in the Walker Cup was in 2015 at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in England (Image: PA)\n<\/p>\n
Team USA celebrate their victory in 2023 at St Andrews (Image: Getty)\n<\/p>\n