GOLF: In a sign of the times, and of the demands placed on top amateurs, Alison Coffey - Ireland's top women's amateur player for the past three years - has taken a six-month career break in order to pursue her ambition of making this year's Curtis Cup team.

Coffey departs for South Africa later this week as part of a 12-player Britain and Ireland elite squad who will spent over two weeks competing in tournaments - including the South African Amateur Championship in Cape Town - as well as playing two Test matches against the host nation and another match against a team of professionals.

Irish close champion Coffey, of Warrenpoint, is one of just two Irish players included in the elite squad that leaves for South Africa on Thursday. Elaine Dowdall, of Wexford, is the other player travelling under the auspices of the Ladies Golf Union.

Coffey's decision to take a career break from her position as a telecommunications engineer in Belfast has been assisted by funding from the Northern Ireland sports lottery, who will partially finance a number of training camps which the player aims to undertake in America and England before competing in the British Matchplay Championship at Ashburnham in June.

She then defends her Irish Close at Little Island later that month.

This year's Curtis Cup match against the United States takes place in Pittsburgh on August 3rd-4th.

Meanwhile, five Irish players - Colm Moriarty, Tim Rice, Johnny Foster, Gavin McNeill and Justin Kehoe - will be among competitors from 15 different countries in next week's Portuguese amateur championship at Club Golf de Marvao in Ammaia.

After competing in the championship, the quintet of Irish players, along with, Mark Campbell, Noel Fox, Andy McCormick, Michael McDermott, Michael McGeady, Andrew Morris, David Mortimer, Stuart Paul and Robert Cannon for a week-long National Panel coaching session in Portugal to be conducted by Irish selectors Mark Gannon and David Young.