IRISH AMATEUR OPEN:YOU ONLY have to look to the exploits of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry to be aware of the extraordinary conveyor belt of talent being produced by the Golfing Union of Ireland and, yet, the AIB Irish Amateur Open – the premier 72-holes strokeplay championship in the country – has failed to produce a home-bred winner since Portmarnock's Noel Fox lifted the trophy back in 2003.

Unfortunately, as far as ending that famine goes, the withdrawal through injury of Paul Cutler – last week’s winner of the prestige Lytham Trophy in England – has increased the odds of that barren spell extending even further at Royal Dublin.

The Portstewart golfer battled to that victory in Royal Lytham with the aid of medication to offset tendonitis in his left elbow but aggravated the injury in the process and has had to withdraw from this championship which has attracted an exceptionally strong international field.

Indeed, the cut-off for the 120-player field fell at +0.6 and features players from as far afield as the United States and Canada as well as all of the top golfing powers in Europe. Kris Nichol, of Scotland, who finished runner-up to Cutler in Lytham, brings some good form into this championship and will be considered one of the favourites.

With almost 50 per cent of the field travelling from abroad, the fallout from the volcanic ash disruption to airports in recent days threatened mass defections. Thankfully, all of the overseas players managed to find a way here.

While Cutler’s absence is a blow to the home challenge, one of the features of the domestic season has been the rejuvenation of Rory Leonard, who captured the West of Ireland title at Co Sligo over the Easter period and has also successfully put his hands on a number of Scratch Cups to demonstrate his current well-being. Leonard will seek to extend that form into this strokeplay event which features the first two rounds today and tomorrow, before a cut which will see players complete the concluding two rounds on Sunday.

The three-ball that features Nicol for the first two rounds should also appeal to home spectators, in that it also features Greystones teenager Paul Dunne. Winner of the Irish Boys’ championship for the past two years and captain of the Britain and Ireland team which defeated the continent of Europe in last year’s Jacques Leglise, Dunne is viewed as a player for the future. Pat Murray, the Irish Close champion, Dara Lernihan, Cian Curley and Alan Dunbar also form part of what remains a strong home challenge, despite the absence of Cutler.