Dean Robertson’s reconnaissance trip to Cypress Point last autumn left him convinced of two truths.
The first was that he would be leading Great Britain and Ireland’s quest to regain the Walker Cup on a spectacular plot of land.
The second was that the golfers charged with completing the task would require a very specific set of skills.
The Scotsman, who will be the first ex-professional to captain a GB&I team, was not, however, remotely overawed by that latter reality.
On the contrary, he was enthused by the prospect of identifying those players and could be seen licking his lips as he walked the fairways throughout Europe’s 2025 amateur season (metaphorically so for the most part, but also literally when recommending an Italian restaurant he’d been frequenting during the Amateur Championship).
Talking to GGP ahead of his journey to California for this week’s 50th edition of the match, the winner of the 1999 Italian Open remained full of enthusiasm.
“I’m absolutely loving it,” he said. “I was so excited as a player in 1993, but I’m probably more excited now.
“Everything about this last 20 months – applying for the position, being appointed, getting to know the players, getting to understand them as individuals – has been terrific. They’re a good bunch of kids, and they’re also very, very good golfers.”
Memories of his appearance as a player at Interlachen Country Club in Minnesota 32 years ago are strong. In a weather-disrupted schedule he defeated Jay Sigel, 3 and 2, on the first morning as GB&I built an early lead midway through the opening singles session. Thereafter it was all gloom as the visitors went down, 19-5.
“What a lovely gentleman Jay was and quite a daunting figure as well,” recalled Robertson. “I was absolutely thrilled with my win, but ultimately we were very well beaten. Our team was a good one, but we’d had no exposure to lightning-fast greens and got battered as a result. I was a rabbit in headlights when I first encountered them. The modern amateur has no such naivete because they are used to fast putting surfaces.”
He also remembers that the pairings “were kind of thrown together ahead of your tee time and there was little structure.” This point is no criticism of the past. Instead it is an acknowledgment, and celebration, of what has improved with time.
“Cypress Point is an absolute masterpiece, one of the most exciting match-play venues you could ever wish for.”
Dean Robertson
Robertson has, in fact, been at the forefront of the sport’s embrace of new ideas in his role as high performance golf coach at the University of Stirling since 2010.
“My job involves helping teams develop skills and prepare for competition,” he said. “We ask questions such as: How do we deal with different dynamics, characters, personalities, styles of game?
“Incorporating all of that, and also creating togetherness, has been a massive part of this Walker Cup journey.”
The adventure began with that recce to the Monterey Peninsula at the end of last year.
The first few days involved walking the course and discussing logistics with USGA officials. He then invited 10 U.S. college-based potential team members to spend two days on the course. Five of them have made the final lineup.
“Cypress Point is an absolute masterpiece, one of the most exciting match-play venues you could ever wish for,” Robertson enthused. “It’s not long but it is quite niche and it demands that you’re in position from the tee.
“Then short-iron approach play has to be precise with distance and spin. Even world-class putters can only be world-class putters if they’re in position on these greens, and that means being below the hole.
“To avoid looking foolish you require feel and imagination to the nth degree. You need artistry and finesse in abundance.”
The heightened awareness of these demands sharpened Robertson’s focus throughout 2025. At squad training camps, players were witnessed being thoroughly tested on short approach play and putting.
England’s Tyler Weaver and Dominic Clemons, plus Scotland’s Cameron Adam and Connor Graham, qualified automatically through their World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Roberton’s picks were the English trio of Eliot Baker, Charlie Forster and Luke Poulter, the Irish pair of Stuart Grehan and Gavin Tiernan, and the Scot Niall Shiels Donegan.
The identity of some of the wild cards raised the eyebrows of some observers. On the one hand, that’s inevitable. On the other, Robertson made a point of stressing that his team possessed, “the personality and attributes to meet the demands presented by Cypress Point.”
Selection of off-the-course personnel was also key.
His assistants are Raymond Russell (who also played in the 1993 Walker Cup) and former Wales international Kath O’Connor. “Raymond is one of my greatest friends,” Roberton said. “He has decades of experience and understands the game really, really well. Kath knows all the players, fantastic attention to detail.”
Mental skills have been honed by his Stirling colleague Dr. John Mathers (“a master in his field, an absolute master, an academic who can translate his work into the arena”) and Amy O’Donnell, who is the team’s performance nutritionist (“she deals with hydration, recovery and sustaining a high level of performance throughout an entire day. We’ve already witnessed the positive impact she can have”).
The week was to begin with a visit to Cypress Point on Saturday for a walk of the course with a focus on the greens. Then the squad was to practice at Monterey Peninsula Country Club on Sunday and Monday before a complete day of rest on Tuesday, followed by a return to Cypress Point for three days of preparation from Wednesday, Robertson said.
Throughout it all, Robertson is also eager for his team to soak up the occasion.
“Raymond and myself had a special week at our Walker Cup but we were also so tunnel-visioned and focused. You need to enjoy this, you need to embrace it. I’ve told the players to look left and look right, to think of the lifelong friendships they’re forging. It’s just the most wonderful experience.”
Robertson has previous experience when it comes to leading teams into the white heat of battle in America.
“The team bonded wonderfully in Madrid but we’re under no illusions. The quality and the depth of the U.S. team on paper and in the rankings is exceptional. They’re fantastic golfers.”
In the 2017 Yale Intercollegiate Invitational at New Haven, Connecticut, the Stirling team won the women’s event by 10 shots. It was reported as the first time a team from outside the U.S. had won an NCAA Division I tournament.
“I almost felt more elated for them than I did when I won my title,” he said. “I can’t tell you how immensely proud of the girls I was.”
In July he led the Great Britain and Ireland team to victory over Continental Europe in the St Andrews Trophy in Madrid, Spain. Crucially, all nine team members have retained their places in the Walker Cup 10, with the addition of the U.S.-based Shiels Donegan.
“The team bonded wonderfully in Madrid but we’re under no illusions,” he said. “The quality and the depth of the U.S. team on paper and in the rankings is exceptional. They’re fantastic golfers.
“Then there’s the challenge of knowing only two GB&I teams have won in America in 100 years.
“How do we become number three? That’s been my absolute focus.
“The players need to be bulletproof, they need to be composed, they need to believe in themselves, and they need to thrive and excel under pressure.
“It’s a real opportunity for these young players to raise their standards, embrace the finest amateur match-play event, honour the Walker Cup and the legacy of it.
“The occasion is going to be huge and there’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of for the GB&I players.
“The preparation is done, the team are together and bonded. This is the time of their lives. Now it’s time to execute our game plan.”
E-MAIL MATT
Top: Dean Robertson is embracing the challenge of becoming just the third GB&I team to win the Walker Cup on U.S. soil.
Aitor Alcalde, R&A via Getty Images