East of Ireland champion Noel Fox and Limerick's Tim Rice will hope their recent vein of good form continues in Carlow this weekend when the Golfsure-sponsored Irish Amateur Close Championship gets under way. The qualifying rounds are on Saturday and Sunday with the top 64 going through to the matchplay stages, writes Shay Keenan

Fox's five-shot win at Baltray included an amateur course record of nine-under-the-card 64 in the second round that also equalled the professional mark set by Eamonn Darcy during the Irish PGA Championship in 2000.

"I hit the ball well at Baltray and my good form continued over the weekend when Portmarnock qualified for the Leinster finals of the Irish Senior Cup, which is back at Co Louth next month," said Fox.

"I'm on top of my game and if the short game, which was excellent in Co Louth but can be off from time to time, continues, I should do well at Carlow.

"Carlow is one of the best inland venues. I played there in the recent Midland Scratch Cup and was very impressed with the condition of the course.

"With the recent rain spell the rough should make the challenge even tougher. But I hope to be in the shake-up on Wednesday," said the 28-year-old international.

Rice is another with ambitions of lifting the Close title. The Limerick player reached the last 16 of the British Amateur Championship at Royal Porthcawl last week and is looking forward to the challenge at Carlow, a course that should suit him.

"I played well in Wales but was still disappointed that I didn't go further in the championship," said Rice.

"But I'm looking forward to the trip to Carlow. It is one of the courses that has maintained its toughness down the years and it should be a great challenge for all the players.

"I feel my game is good enough to do well at Carlow and I'm looking forward to the competition," added Rice.

Fox and Rice will have plenty of opposition with the cream of the amateur game and a number of the up and coming youngsters all entered for the Blue Riband of Irish golf.

Waterford's Gavin McNeill, the holder, will be among the favourites.

McNeill who beat Stephen Browne at the 20th in a titantic struggle at Rosses Point last year is back to full fitness after a recent back injury.

"I pulled out of the Brabazon Trophy and the East of Ireland to get it right and I feel fine again right now," said McNeill.

Two players who performed well in the East, Darren Crowe from Royal Dublin and Robert McCarthy from The Island, will be keen to take another step up the learning graph.

The same applies to Tramore's Clancy Bowe, Sean and Martin McTernan from Co Sligo and David Jones from the City of Derry club.

Crowe finished second to Fox with McCarthy four shots further back in third place.

However, McCarthy showed up well at number one for The Island in the senior cup at Malahide over the weekend when he beat Crowe 4 and 3 and followed with another impressive victory over Sutton's Mark Collins as The Island qualified for the Leinster finals.

Jones and Sean McTernan helped the University of Toledo team to their best finish in the NCAA Golf Championship in Columbus last week.

Rathmore's Graeme McDowell finished fourth in the US event, before Jones made the dash to the British Amateur.

Jones tied for 46th place in Ohio at 288 while junior McTernan was placed 111th at 297.

McDowell, who is expected to join the paid ranks in the near future, is entered for the Close but may pass up the event as he ponders his future.