AMATEUR SCENE: Four members of the six-man Irish team for the European Team championship at the Koninklijke Haagsche Golf & Country Club in Wassenaar, near The Hague, Holland, from July 1st to 5th will get a final chance to impress the Walker Cup selectors when the amateur circuit moves to Tramore Golf Club this week for the Golfsure sponsored Irish Amateur Close Championship.
Noel Fox (Portmarnock), Justin Kehoe (Birr), Gareth Maybin (Ballyclare) and Colm Moriarty (Athlone) went out early in last week's British Amateur Championship at Royal Troon and will be keen for a final assault on the Blue Riband of Irish golf. But such is the quality of the field for Tramore that the handicap cut-off for the 150 starters this year is 1.7 and included in that is last year's winner John McGinn.
McGinn will, however, be a marked man this year. The Greenore player eased his way through the field last year, beating established internationals Eddie Power and Adrian Morrow, before taking the title with a 3 and 1 win over Roscommon's Ken Kearney in the final.
Fox is in a rich vein of form after capturing the Irish Open Strokeplay title at Royal Dublin a few weeks ago, while Moriarty will be looking to repeat the early-season form that saw him win twice in Australia, taking the New South Wales Strokeplay and Matchplay championships.
Maybin, the North of Ireland champion, has had a successful season the the US Collegiate circuit and finished 28 in the order of merit, while some of the youngsters will fancy their chances. Mark Ryan from the Grange is another in form after winning the West of Ireland championship, his brother David won the Munster Youths' Championship, while Brian McElhinney of North West the Connacht Youths' title.
McElhinney and Michael McGeady (City of Derry) make up the six-man team for Holland. McGeady (25) who will be making his senior international debut, played in the Boys' Home Internationals in 1996 and against Wales and Scotland in Youth International matches in 1999. He was beaten at the 19th in the semi-finals of the Close Championship at Carlow last year by the eventual winner, McGinn.
McElhinney, the youngest member of the team at 20 years of age, played in the Boys' Home Internationals in 2000, the Youths' Internationals against Scotland and Wales and the European Youths' Team Championship in 2002.
The tournament starts at the testing Tramore course with two strokeplay qualifying rounds, with the top 64 going through to the matchplay stages.
Frank Gannon (Skerries), Gerry O'Keeffe (Waterford) and David Jackson (Clandeboye) will carry Irish hopes in the European Seniors' Amateur Championship at Chantaco Golf Club in France starting on Thursday. The team will be captained by Limerick's Jack Lynch.
Meanwhile, Martina Gillen (Beaverstown) will lead a strong Irish contingent at the British Women's Amateur Championship at Lindrick Golf Club, Nottingham, starting today.
And a good performance here could lead to selection on the Britain and Ireland Vagliano Trophy team for the match against the Continent at Co Louth Golf Club, Baltray on July 25th and 26th.
The other members of the Irish squad competing in Lindrick are Claire Coughlin, Tara Delane, Maria Dunne, Martina Gillen, Tricia Mangan, Heather Nolan and Marian Riordan. Mangan, Gillen and Delaney will represent Ireland in the team event.
Riordan (Tipperary/ Ballykisteen) will defend the Irish Intermediate Championship to be held at Charlesland Golf Club on Tuesday and Wednesday June 17th and 18th.
This is only the second year of the Championship, for which the Trophy was presented by immediate past President of the ILGU, Cathy Smith.
There is a strong entry for the event, which includes Heather Nolan (Shannon) who played for Ireland in the Girls' Home Internationals and the Ladies' Home Internationals in consecutive weeks last year. There are three entries from England, Vicki Power, Corisande Lee and Claire Thompson, and one from Scotland, Addi Shamish.
