JUST five years ago, Scott Gregory and Harry Ellis were members of the same Hampshire Boys team managed by Blackmoor Golf Club’s John Moore, who is now Hampshire Golf’s president (writes Andrew Griffin).

Now the pair have been selected to play in the same GB&I team that will defend the Walker Cup won at Royal Lytham two years ago.

They travel to Los Angeles Country Club for the 18 singles and eight foursomes matches – played over the two days September 9-10.

Whether they will be paired together, or possibly play with former Hampshire junior team-mate Jack Singh-Brar, winner of the Selborne Salver at Blackmoor back in April, remains to be seen.

Certainly as far as the five England players picked by Scotland’s Craig Watson, who will captain the 10-man GB&I team for the first time, there has been some form to go on.

Ellis, from the Meon Valley club, teamed up successfully with Kent’s Alfie Plant, winner of the Silver Medal at The Open last month, at the European Team Championships in Austria, where England lost to Spain in the final.

Ellis has spent the last three years playing for Florida State University, but has still featured for Hampshire during the summer. More recently, it has been when Gregory has been on international duty with England.

Gregory (Corhampton) has a peerless record in matchplay, having won The Amateur in 2016 and reached the quarter-finals of the English Amateur in three of the last four years. He also won the New South Wales Amateur in February.

Coupled with the experience of playing in three majors since last summer, including the 2017 Masters and US Open – he also reached the last 32 of the US Amateur at Oakland Hills – a Ryder Cup venue – he will give a great deal of reassurance to his playing partners.

Great Britain will need Ellis and Gregory to be at their best to have any realistic chance of retaining the trophy in California.