Cullen beavering for success

Ireland's elite amateurs will be hoping that Mikko Ilonen's victory at the West of Ireland Championship at Enniscrone, the first by a continental European in an Irish amateur tournament, was a once off rather than a precedent.

The young Finn, who beat Ulster's Rory Leonard in the final, will not be present at the Irish Amateur Open Championship which begins today at Royal Dublin but several of his countrymen tee up for the prestigious tournament alongside a sizeable international contingent. France, Germany, Wales, the USA and England all boast representatives in the 61st staging of a tournament which was first played for in 1892 but only revived in 1995 after a 34-year gap between 1960 and 1994. Previous winners include Padraig Harrington and Keith Nolan (twice). Last year's winner Michael Hoey is unable to defend his title because of university commitments in the USA. Other notable absentees include Ilonen, Paddy Gribben, Adrian Morrow, Ken Kearney and Irish Close champion Eddie Power. Ilonen and Gribben have chosen instead to compete in the Brabazon Trophy at Moortown Golf Club.

Morrow withdrew because of illness while internationals Power and Kearney are both unavailable because of work commitments. The Irish Amateur Open draw still harbours a surfeit of quality manifest in the presence of Walker Cup panellist Garth McGimpsey and Noel Fox, City of Derry's David Jones, Jody Fanagan, Gary Cullen and Andrew McCormick.

The presence of Walker Cup captain Peter McEvoy at Royal Dublin - in preference to the Brabazon Trophy - confirms the assertion of the R & A that the Irish tournament carries great weight with regard to selection for the Walker Cup: the match against the Americans takes place at Nairn Golf Club on September 11th-12th.

McGimpsey, the current East of Ireland champion, would dearly love to add the Irish Amateur Open to his phenomenal curriculum vitae of golfing successes. Although not currently on the Walker Cup panel Jones has been told that it would not preclude his selection.

The young Ulsterman underlined both his ability and current form with success in the prestigious St David's Trophy. Fanagan, Fox and McCormick will cherish thoughts of victory but it is Beaverstown's Cullen who has been especially consistent in the last two seasons on the amateur circuit.

Runner-up in this event last season he was also a semi-finalist in last year's Irish Close and also reached the penultimate stage at the recent West of Ireland Championship. Heading the list of quality young players is South of Ireland champion Johnny Foster, Robin Symes, Michael McDermott, Leonard, Nigel Howley, Peter Martin, Michael McGinley, Lee Dalton, Stephen Browne, David Dunne and Daniel Sugrue. Tandragee's Stuart Paul finished fourth last season.

Leading the foreign challenge will be Henri Salonen. The championship has been extended by one day this year to cater for the larger field of 120.