Irish Open attracts elite

Amateur Golf: The field for the AIB-sponsored Irish Amateur Open Championship which will be staged at Royal Dublin Golf Club…

Amateur Golf: The field for the AIB-sponsored Irish Amateur Open Championship which will be staged at Royal Dublin Golf Club from May 9th-11th, has been considerably enhanced by the presence of 11 members of the Britain and Ireland Walker Cup squad that will take on the United States at Nairn Golf Club, Scotland, in September.

It includes Ireland's four panellists Colm Moriarty (Athlone), Justin Kehoe (Birr), Noel Fox (Portmarnock) and Gareth Maybin (Ballyclare).

They will be joined in the tournament by Scotland's Jack Doherty, Graham Gordon and Jamie McLeary, England's Lee Corfield and also the Welsh triumvirate of Lee Harpin, Nigel Edwards and Stuart Manley.

Doherty won the Australian Amateur Open championship while Moriarty's impressive tournament triumphs came in the New South Wales Strokeplay and Matchplay and Manley the Duncan Putter tournament in Wales.

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There are a total of 53 overseas players from 13 countries in the field of 120 competitors, falling at a record low of scratch with one player balloted out on that mark. Six of the players are operating off a handicap of plus four.

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan is an Irish Times sports writer