IRELAND is set to fight off challenges from Scotland, Germany and Sweden to win the plum prize of staging the 2005 Ryder Cup. And while the final choice of country won't come down to an auction, the process is likely to be markedly different in the later battle between aspiring venues.

Developments took a significant leap yesterday following a statement from Enda Kenny, the Minister for Tourism and Trade. Determined to maintain his position as a key player in securing the event for this country, he predicted a deal could be secured by September.

His words were not misplaced. "Ireland is the frontrunner," said Richard Hills, the director of the Ryder Cup, when I met him and the European Tour executive director, Ken Schofield, at Wentworth yesterday. This came after Schofield had disclosed that the other candidates were Scotland, Germany and Sweden.

"The Irish authorities have been aggressive in making their pitch very clear to us," said Schofield. "They wanted an assurance from us that they were on the right track, and my response was `You're on your way'. We believe this is the right time to bed down the 2005 Ryder Cup."

Schofield went on to say that the decision would be made around the time of the staging of this year's event at Valderrama on September 26th-28th. A decision on the specific venue could be anticipated a year later.

This is the sort of timescale the Tour employed when deciding on Valderrama: Spain was chosen as the host country in 1994 and the venue was finalised in 1995. The European staging of the event rests between the PGA and the PGA European Tour: the PGA have already decided that the 2001 staging should be at The Belfry, so it is now the Tour's turn to choose the venue.

"We want to pursue the matter in view of Ireland's strong support of the Tour," added Schofield. This was a reference to the Murphy's Irish Open, the Smurfit European Open, the British Senior Open and the AIB Irish Senior Open. With the exception of the British Senior Open at Royal Port rush, these events are supported by Government subventions totalling about £800,000.

According to the British officials, the next stage in the proceedings will take place within the next two months. At that time Schofield will expect the Irish negotiators to "put some flesh on principles already agreed". He added: "I would like to make it clear, however, that there will not be an auction. That's not the way we do business."

Should Ireland be chosen to stage an event in which the country's players have made a significant contribution through the years, it then becomes a question of choosing a venue. And given the importance of corporate money in the entire equation, I suspect it will go to a leading, proprietary venue.

In 1989, Portmarnock was among those clubs which made a bid to stage the 1993 event. As things developed, the bid was strongly supported by influential voices, including the prospective Ryder Cup skipper, Bernard Gallacher. In a tied vote, however, the then chairman of the Ryder Cup committee, Lord Derby, came down in favour of a return to The Belfry.

Since then, prime Irish venues such as Mount Juliet, The K Club and Ad are Manor have come on stream. And I believe they will become the key players for 2005.

Tim Mahony, owner of Mount Juliet, told me last autumn that he was prepared to invest up to £5 million to bring the Ryder Cup to this country. He saw it as potentially a wonderful boost for tourism.

A month later, the Irish position was put sharply into focus by Stuart Reid, chairman of De Vere Hotels, owners of The Belfry. "No one in this day and age is going to hand it (the Ryder Cup) to Ireland, just because it has not been there before," he said. "You have to get in the market place and fight for it."

Which is precisely what Minister Kenny and officials of Bord Failte, including chairman Mark Mortell, were prepared to do. And they are now set for the payoff.

Portmarnock could have been viewed as an ideal compromise choice in the event of deadlock between the proprietary bidders. But the emphasis being placed yesterday on corporate contributions to the European Tour has altered the picture appreciably.

In that context, Mount Juliet is currently in a weak position given that it has not been involved at European Tour level since the Irish Open was last staged there in 1995. And while Adare Manor is a very strong candidate for a future staging of the Irish Open, it has no current credentials.

So, The K Club is considerably ahead of the opposition. And I expect it to remain in that position through future Smurfit support of the European Open.