LAHINCH GC, in conjunction with the Monster Branch of the GUI, plan to run this year's South of Ireland Golf Championship as usual in July, with or without sponsorship. So said the secretary manager of the club, Alan Reardon, yesterday, commenting on the decision of the Bank of Ireland to end their sponsorship of the championship which they began 16 years ago.

Reardon said that they had written to the bank asking for the same sponsorship as they had given for the Close Championship which was £8,000.

A spokesman for the Bank of Ireland said that they had agreed to increase the direct sponsorship by £2,000 to the figure requested by the Lahinch club. They also agreed to reduce the amount of publicity material used in the vicinity of the club but could not agree to certain other conditions. The total sponsorship including programmes and concessions to the competitors amounted to over £20,000 annually.

The spokesman for the bank said "It was a harmonious parting. We enjoyed our association with Lahinch and the South of Ireland championship but perhaps it was time to hand over the mantle of sponsorship to someone else."