Two teenagers in Rory McIlroy and Simon Ward, alongside 20-year-old Gareth Shaw have been selected by the GUI to represent Ireland in next month's World Amateur Team Championship in South Africa where they will compete for the Eisenhower Trophy.
The trio make-up a formidable, and very young, Irish team set to compete at De Zalze Golf Club and Stellenbosh Golf Club in the winelands region east of Cape Town from October, 26th-29th.
McIlroy, 17, is currently ranked fifth in the world amateur rankings with a handicap of plus 5.3 after successfully defending his West of Ireland title over Easter at Rosses Point before also defending the Irish Amateur Close Championship at The European Club. The teenage sensation from Holywood also finished runner- up in the Irish Amateur Open Championship, having lost out in a three holes play-off to Finland's Antti Ahokas.
But McIlroy's biggest individual scalp to date came when he captured the prestigious European Amateur Individual Championship at the Biella Golf Club in Italy last month. A feat which earned him a place in next year's British Open field at Carnoustie next year.
Lurgan's Shaw is just 20 and is currently on a scholarship in America. He won the North of Ireland Championship last year, and this year he captured the Irish Youths Amateur Open Championship at Royal Tara where he set a new course record 66.
Ward, 18, from Baltray, made his big breakthrough this year when he won the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch, having earlier in the season reached the final of the Irish Amateur Close Championship at The European Club where he lost to McIlroy.
All three players were members of the Irish team which competed in the European Youths Amateur Team Championship at San Roque, Spain in July, and in the Home Internationals at Pyle and Kenfig in Wales last week.
The International Golf Federation (IGF) has confirmed that this year's World Amateur Team Championship, which is held biennially and played over 72 holes of stroke play, has attracted a record entry of 75 teams. The previous record was 66 teams in Puerto Rico in 2004.
This will be the third occasion for Ireland to compete on its own in the championship for the Eisenhower Trophy. Since the event was first held in 1958, Ireland was part of a Great Britain and Ireland team until 2002 when the four Home Countries decided to enter separate teams for the event which was held in Malaysia.
The IGF was founded in 1958 to encourage the international development of golf and to employ the game as a vehicle to foster friendship and sportsmanship among the peoples of the world. Serving as the International Olympic Committee's recognised International Federation of golf, the IGF is comprised of the national governing bodies of golf in more than 100 countries.
