July 20, 2005

Former Navy All-American golfer Ens. Billy Hurley, USN (Leesburg, Va.) will represent the United States on the links this August after being named to the 10-player Walker Cup team Tuesday. The Walker Cup pits the best amateur golfers from the United States against their counterparts from Great Britain and Ireland. Comprised of four foursomes matches (18 holes each, alternate shot) each morning and eight singles matches (18 holes each) each afternoon, the competition is set to be played Aug. 13-14 at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill.

"I'm excited about getting the chance to play in the Walker Cup match and represent the United States and the Navy in an international competition," said Hurley Tuesday afternoon from New York where he is preparing for tomorrow's opening round of the Porter Cup. "It was a big goal of mine to make the team and I accomplished it. The purpose of me playing in all the tournaments this summer was to help me get this opportunity."

"This is a tribute to Billy as a player and as a person, and it's truly an honor to have him affiliated with our program," said Navy golf coach Pat Owen. "Without the support of the Navy and the Naval Academy, he probably would not have gotten this opportunity. There's no doubt that he will proudly represent our country and our institution with dignity."

A four-time All-Patriot League selection and 2004 PING Honorable Mention All-American, Hurley is arguably the best golfer in Naval Academy history. The 2004 Byron Nelson Award winner, he served as the captain of the 2004 Palmer Cup team and is the first player to represent a service academy in the annual Ryder Cup-style competition. He was also on the watch list for the 2004 The Ben Hogan Award and was named the 2004 Patriot League Player of the Year after capturing the Patriot League Tournament title. Hurley, who garnered PING Mid-Atlantic Region recognition as a junior and senior, completed his collegiate career in 2004 when he placed 14th at the NCAA East Region Championship in New Haven, Conn.

Upon graduation, Hurley, served as a surface warfare officer aboard the U.S.S. Gettysburg in Florida and is now back at the Academy where he is assisting in the Economics department.

Along with Hurley, the Walker Cup team is headlined by three amateurs who competed in the recent U.S. Open - Matt Every, 22, of Daytona Beach, Fla.; Michael Putnam, 22, of Tacoma, Wash.; and Lee Williams, 24, of Alexander City, Ala. Anthony Kim, 20, of La Quinta, Calif.; Brian Harman, 18, of Savannah, Ga.; John Holmes, 23, of Campbellsville, Ky.; Jeff Overton, 22, of Evansville, Ind.; Kyle Reifers, 22, of Dublin, Ohio; and Nicholas Thompson, 22, of Coral Springs, Fla. round out the U.S. team. The top two alternates, in order, are Luke List, 20, of Ringgold, Ga., and Ryan Blaum, 21, of Coral Gables, Fla.

Bob Lewis, 61, of Pepper Pike, Ohio, who played on four winning Walker Cup teams from 1981 through 1987, will serve as team captain of the U.S. squad battling for the 2005 Walker Cup title. He also was captain of the 2003 team.

Great Britain and Ireland's team has won the last three matches, in 1999, 2001 and 2003; twice by scores of 15-9 and by 12-11 in 2003. The USA, however, leads the overall series, 31-7-1.

Daily tickets are $35 and can be reserved by calling the ticket office at (630) 949-3219. The Golf Channel will air live coverage from 11-1 p.m. on Saturday and from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday (EDT). For more information, visit the official Walker Cup Match site at www.walkercup.org.

2005 U.S. TEAM - The U.S. team, captained by Bob Lewis, 61, of Pepper Pike, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, consists of the following players:
Player	age (birth date)	Hometown
Matt Every	22 (12/4/83)	Daytona Beach, Fla.
Anthony Kim	20 (6/19/85)	LaQuinta, Calif.
Brian Harman	18 (1/19/87)	Savannah, Ga.
John Holmes	23 (4/26/82)	Campbellsville, Ky.
Billy Hurley	23 (6/9/82)	Leesburg, Va.
Jeff Overton	22 (5/28/83)	Evansville, Ind.
Michael Putnam	22 (6/1/83)	Tacoma, Wash.
Kyle Reifers	22 (10/13/83)	Dublin, Ohio
Nicholas Thompson	22 (12/25/82)	Coral Springs, Fla.
Lee Williams	24 (12/27/81) 	Alexander City, Ala.
Captain
Bob Lewis	61	Pepper Pike, Ohio

2005 GREAT BRITAIN/IRELAND TEAM - The GB&I team, captained by Garth McGimpsey, 50, of Bangor, Ireland, consists of the following players:
Player	Age (birth date)	Hometown
Rhys Davies	20 (5/28/85)	Glamorgan, Wales
Robert Dinwiddie	22 (12/12/82)	Barnard Castle, England
Nigel Edwards	37 (8/9/68)	Caerphilly, Wales
Oliver Fisher	16 (9/13/88)	Chigwell, England
Gary Lockerbie	22 (11/15/82)	Penrith, England
Brian McElhinney	22 (9/17/82)	Donegal, Ireland
Richie Ramsay	22 (6/15/83)	Aberdeen, Scotland
Matthew Richardson	20 (12/5/84)	Ickenham, England
Lloyd Saltman	19 (9/10/85)	Gorebridge, Scotland
Gary Wolstenholme	44 (8/21/60)	Market Harborough, England
Captain
Garth McGimpsey	50	Bangor, Ireland