Dean Robertson named Walker Cup captain

Dean Robertson has been appointed Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) captain for the 50th Walker Cup match at the Cypress Point Club.

The 53-year-old succeeds fellow Scotsman Stuart Wilson in the role for the contest against the United States of America on the Monterey Peninsula, California from September 6-7, 2025.

Robertson, the high performance golf coach at the University of Stirling, will bring a wealth of experience to the position having played in the Walker Cup in 1993 and acted as Head Coach of the European Arnold Palmer Cup team in 2009.

GB&I will be aiming for success at Cypress Point following four straight losses in the Walker Cup, the most recent a narrow defeat to the USA in St Andrews last September.

Robertson begins his two-year term in the role by captaining GB&I against the Continent of Europe in the St Andrews Trophy at Royal Porthcawl from July 25-26.

“To have represented Great Britain and Ireland in the St Andrews Trophy and the Walker Cup was the pinnacle of my amateur career and an incredible privilege,” said Robertson.

“Now to have the honour of captaining Great Britain and Ireland is something I could not have imagined but it is one that I am thrilled about. I very much look forward to working closely with the players for the matches ahead with an important focus on being well prepared and playing to win.”

Robertson enjoyed a notable amateur career with victories in the Scottish Youths, Scottish Amateur Stroke Play and Scottish Amateur championships. A student at Midland College in Texas, he was part of the victorious GB&I side in the St Andrews Trophy at Royal Cinque Ports in 1992 before his Walker Cup appearance a year later.

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – JANUARY 21: Dean Robertson of Scotland during the second round of the South African Airways Open at Durban Country Club on January 21, 2005 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

The USA ran out comfortable winners at Interlachen Country Club, Minnesota but Robertson, who featured in the same team as three-time major champion Pádraig Harrington, did enjoy a singles victory over Jay Sigel.

Robertson turned professional in 1993 and went on to win the Italian Open on the European Tour in 1999 and the Scottish PGA Championship in 2006, alongside team appearances for Scotland at the World Cup in 1999 and 2001.

Robertson has since worked as a highly regarded coach to a number of amateur players, both on the college circuit in the USA and domestically within GB&I. After his initial European Arnold Palmer Cup coaching role in 2009 where he led the side to victory in the USA, he returned as Assistant Head Coach in 2016 when Europe defeated the USA with a team that included Sam Horsfield, Adrian Meronk, Antoine Rozner and Matthias Schwab.

Robertson continues to work with Louise Duncan, winner of The Women’s Amateur Championship in 2021 and now a promising professional.

After four years as chairman of the Boys’ Selection Committee, Chris King has been appointed as captain of GB&I’s Jacques Leglise Trophy team this year. Senior Irish internationalist Deirdre Walsh takes charge of the GB&I girls’ team for the Junior Vagliano Trophy.

Walsh was an assistant for the 9-9 draw in the Junior Vagliano Trophy at Royal Dornoch last July, the first time GB&I have avoided defeat across eight matches.

Both junior matches against the Continent of Europe are being contested at West Lancashire from August 23-24.

Catriona Matthew, the two-time winning Solheim Cup Captain, captains GB&I in the Curtis Cup at Sunningdale from August 30 to September 1.