Investment in youths reaps just rewards

No bunting, and no fanfare of trumpets; the arrivals terminal in Dublin Airport has certainly witnessed more raucous homecomings. But the six young men in green blazers who yesterday ventured through the sliding doors into the din of returned holidaymakers provided further confirmation that the Golfing Union of Ireland's investment in structured coaching has reaped substantial rewards.

In their hands was clasped a silver salver, visible proof of their status as European Boys' (Under18) team champions. The sextet - David Jones (City of Derry), Justin Kehoe (Birr and UCD), Robin Symes (Shandon Park), Michael McDermott (Stackstown), Sean McTernan (Co Sligo) and Mervyn Owens (Mallow) - became the first Irish winners of the title and, unquestionably, their historic feat points to a bright future for Irish golf.

Last August, Ireland also won the Home International Boys' championship for the first time and the future, it would appear, is exceptionally bright - and the GUI must take considerable credit for implementing a national coaching policy which costs in excess of £100,000 a year.

The wheels for such a programme were set in motion three years ago by Jimmy Greene, a native of Cork but a member of Grange who is among the country's most enthusiastic supporters of junior golf, when he called a meeting of provincial coaching personnel in the Airport Hotel . . . and, fittingly, Greene was the nonplaying captain of the team who triumphed over hosts Scotland in Gullane to lift the European championship last Sunday.

Greene talked of his team playing "incredible" golf in dreadful conditions. "The cars on the road by the 18th fairway had their lights on full, the weather was so bad," remarked Greene, "but I told the players that this was four hours of their young and long life and they wouldn't have the chance again. They responded magnificently."

Although stressing the team nature of the success, Greene praised the performance of Jones who, he said, was the "stalwart" of the team and Kehoe, a scholarship student at UCD, who was the leading qualifier (and the only player to break par in both qualifying rounds) and then won four out of five matchplay encounters.

Indeed, an indication of the virtually non-stop cycle of golf which these teenagers are engaged in is that all six will compete in the Connacht Boys' championship which starts at Tuam today when Jones will be seeking to add the crown to the Leinster Boys' title he won in runaway fashion in Arklow two weeks ago.

Ireland confirmed their place as the best team in Europe by leading the qualifiers and then accounting for Finland (6-1), England (4-3) and Scotland (4-3) in the matchplay stages. Kehoe, the leading individual qualifier, underlined the confidence that permeated through the team. "We expected to win the championship," he said. "That's not being conceited in any way, it is just a measure of our preparations and our confidence. The main target initially was to ensure we qualified for the top flight and, after leading the qualifiers, we had nothing to fear."

Kehoe added: "We have a great system in Ireland and it gives us a big advantage over players from other countries. We're encouraged to play in the senior championships, and playing in the conditions that prevailed at West of Ireland at Enniscrone, the East of Ireland at Baltray and then the rough that was evident during the Irish Close at The Island helped us considerably."

Jones, one of the brightest jewels in Irish golf, echoed Kehoe's words. "The final (against Scotland) was the closest match but, even then, we always held the upper hand," he said. Jones's early season outings were limited due to his examinations at Limavady College where he took Sports Studies - but, since returning to competition, he was runner-up in the Irish Youths', won the Leinster Boys' and, then, won five out of six matches in inspiring Ireland to European championship success.

Among those to welcome the team home yesterday were Percy Shannon, the president of the GUI, and John Treacy, chairman of the Sports Council. "The highlight of my year," remarked Shannon, but he is as aware as anyone of the commitment which the union has devoted to nurturing young talent.

"The provincial branches have had organised coaching for many years, however, it is only in the past three years that we've had national coaching with a central base," said Barry Doyle, the national convenor for coaching. At present, two panels - for youths (Under 21) and boys (under 18) - comprising 32 players from all over the country are involved in regular squad sessions at the MacGregor Academy in City West, the GUI's coaching base.

"I'm hopeful that we can go a bit further, because the talent is undoubtedly there," added Doyle, who'd like to see the numbers increased and younger age-groups facilitated. Victories like that enacted in Gullane can only help such ambitions.