Amateur Scene News round-up: Martina Gillen will have a double on her mind when she tees up in the Suzuki-sponsored Irish Ladies Strokeplay Championship at Rathsallagh Golf Club next weekend.
Irish Close champion Gillen, a member of the Irish team that finished ninth in the European team championship in Germany last week, will be keen to emulate last year's double champion, Rebecca Coakley, by adding the strokeplay title to her list of achievements.
Gillen lost out in the semi-finals of the Close and on countback in the Strokeplay to Coakley last year but with another year's experience was a worthy winner of the Close title in Donegal when she beat fellow international Maria Dunne from Skerries in the final.
Three other members of the European team - Claire Coughlan (Cork), Maura Morrin (Curragh) and Ulster champion Helen Jones (Strabane) - are also in the field, as is the team captain, Mary McKenna.
Suzuki's inaugural sponsorship of the championship has drawn a variety of international talent to Rathsallagh. Players from as far east as Hong Kong and Malaysia and as far west as the United States are entered.
Among the visitors from Hong Kong are mother and daughter Eleana A and Eleana L Collins, who have handicaps of 11 and nine respectively.
There is also a strong representation from Scotland, beaten by Ireland in the play-off for ninth place at the Europeans. And Anne Larsson, a one-handicap player, comes from Hilleroed in Denmark.
Marian Riordan, Sinead Keane, Deirdre Smith, Darragh McGowan and Heather Nolan, however, will be anxious to consolidate their claims for places on the Irish team for the Home International Championship in September at Cruden Bay, where Ireland last won the title in 1980.
The championship at Rathsallagh will be played over 54 holes - 36 on Saturday and 18 on Sunday.
Karen Delaney from Carlow and Maria Dunne from Skerries will start favourites to defend the Irish Girls' and Intermediate Championships titles respectively, which start at Ardee Golf Club today.
In last year's Girls' final at Athenry Delaney defeated Heather Nolan of Shannon, who will be a strong contender for the Intermediate championship. Delaney's main rival this year is likely to be her younger sister Tara, while other members of the Irish girls' team in the draw are Sinead O'Sullivan (Galway), Catherine Tucker (Limerick), and Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne).
Meanwhile, in a shock move, Sweden, runners-up to Spain in last week's European women's team championship, have decided none of their players will be available for the Continent of Europe team in the Vagliano Trophy match against Great Britain & Ireland later this month at Co Louth Golf Club. A big home tournament is the reason advanced, but as the dates for the Vagliano Trophy match have been known for at least two years, it's a surprising move by the Swedes.
Spain, as European champions, deserve to have three players in the team, even if one of them, Emma Cabrera, was not in their team of six at Frankfurt.
One surprise is that Germany, who have won four international team events this season, have just one player, Bettina Hauert, on the team.
Hauert would be ranked behind team-mates Pia Odefey (beaten finalist in the British Amateur at Lindrick in June), Denise Simon and Anja Monke.
The Continent of Europe team is: Minea Blomqvist (Finland), Emma Cabrera (Spain), Tania Elosegui (Spain), Sophie Giquel (France), Bettina Hauert (Germany), Fany Schaeffer (France), Lisa Holm Sorensen (Denmark), Dewi-Claire Schreefel (Netherlands), Elisa Serramia (Spain). The reserves are Ursula Tuutti (Finland) and Tullia Calzavara (Italy). Team captain is Macarena Campomanes (Spain).
Nicky Grant from Clandeboye will be among the favourites to capture the Munster Boys' Championship, which gets under way at Tipperary Golf Club today. Grant, winner of the Connacht title two weeks ago in Oughterard, will be joined by Ulster title-holder Rory McIlroy from Holywood GC and the Ireland team that finished ninth in the European boys' team championship in Germany last week.
