The year is just getting better and better for Derek McNamara. Already selected to represent Ireland in next August's European section of the Doug Sanders International Junior Championship, the Connemara teenager has been picked to play in next week's Jacques Leglise Trophy match against the Continent of Europe.

McNamara is the lone Irish player in the nine-man Britain and Ireland team which will be captained by Zane Scotland, a quarterfinalist in the recent British amateurs at Hoylake. Martin McTernan, of Co Sligo, has been named as first reserve on the team.

Two years ago, City of Derry's David Jones captained the team that retained the trophy in Italy and McNamara's selection maintains a strong Irish contribution to this particular competition. It also marks a significant step in McNamara's own representative career which has seen him play for Ireland in the world junior team championships in Japan two years ago and in the European Boys' championship and the Home International Boys' championship last year.

Prior to his Leglise Trophy callup, McNamara had been selected by the GUI to represent Ireland in the European section of the Sanders International which takes place at Aberdeen on August 1st-2nd. The winner and runner-up in that particular competition will be invited to represent Europe in the International Foundation for Junior Golf World Championships in Jamaica at the end of August.

Meanwhile, Irish youths captain John Long is able to call upon an exceptionally strong team to take on Scotland in the annual youths' international at Newmacher Golf Club, near Aberdeen, on Friday. Graeme McDowell, of Rathmore, the current holder of the Irish Youths title and recent winner of the Leinster Youths championship, has been named in a six-strong team that also features reigning South of Ireland champion Mark Campbell (Stackstown), Michael Hoey (Shandon Park), Justin Kehoe (Birr), David Jones (City of Derry) and Colm Moriarty (Athlone).