Sport

McElhinney leads Ireland in Eisenhower

Reigning Irish Close champion, Brian McElhinney (North West) will lead the three-man Ireland team in the World Amateur Team Championship…

Shay Keenan
Tue Sept 21 2004 - 01:00

Reigning Irish Close champion, Brian McElhinney (North West) will lead the three-man Ireland team in the World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy at the Westin Rio Mar Country Club in Puerto Rico on October 28th-31st.

The other members are Seán McTernan (Co Sligo) and Darren Crowe (Dunmurry), with Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge) the reserve. Gareth Maybin (Ballyclare), who also missed out on the Bulmers All-Ireland finals at Shannon GC, was unavailable for selection because of his college commitments for his degree in the United States.

McElhinney, who won both the North of Ireland and European Individual Championships last year, also topped this year's Order of Merit table and won the Willie Gill award after claiming the Close title at Donegal GC.

McTernan, who completed his studies at Toledo University, was runner-up to Welshman Craig Smith in the Irish Amateur Open Championship at Carton House last May and made his second appearance for Ireland in the Home Internationals at Prestwick recently.

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Crowe, also a member of Ireland's Home Internationals team, won the World Universities Championship in Thailand earlier this year.

In preparation for the World Cup, the three players, plus Kilpatrick, will have a week-long training camp in New York from Deptember 28th with team captain Mark Gannon and coach Howard Bennett. They will also participate in the Nassau Invitational Open Championship in Long Island.

McElhinney and Crowe will also represent Ireland in the Juan Carlos Trophy and Tailhade Cup 72-hole strokeplay championship at Los Lagartos, near Buenos Aires on December 2nd-5th.

Paul O'Hanlon (Curragh), Connor Doran (Banbridge) and Harry Diamond (Holywood) have been selected to play in the Turkish Open championship at the Kemer club in Istanbul.

Holywood's Rory McIlroy, who helped get Ryder Cup week off to a great start by playing in Europe's 8½-3½ win over their US counterparts in the junior event in Ohio, will be Ireland's representative in the The Duke of York Young Champions Trophy starting tomorrow.