Island to test Close contenders

They don't row the boat across Malahide estuary to The Island golf club any more, the course has been realigned since the old days and a new low-level clubhouse blends nicely into the magnificent duneland - and, yet, the traditional links feel exists and, as one of the prime contenders Bryan Omelia observes, the course that plays host to the Irish Amateur Close Championship, sponsored by Bank of Ireland, starting today with strokeplay qualifying, is "a class place."

Indeed, the 150 players who will tee off in the 36-hole qualifying, which takes place today and tomorrow with the first players off the tee at 7.0 a.m. each day, could well be thankful for the large number of volunteer "spotters" who will assume strategic vantage points, given the tigerish rough that has been allowed flourish for the national championship, while the greens are uniformly in good condition.

"I can't understand how this course doesn't get the recognition it deserves," remarked Omelia, who reached the last 16 in the British Amateur Championship in Muirfield last week. "It's a class place, a really tough course that makes you use your head because the holes vary so much and are in different directions."

Unusually, the opening eight holes are all par four - but the diversity is obvious, with, for example, the third along the coastline measuring an intimidating 445 yards while the eighth is a mere 310 yards, but demands accuracy off the tee. It will claim its fair share of victims.

Ken Kearney, who won the title in Westport last August, will attempt to become the first player since Joe Carr in 1965 to successfully defend the championship. And, although a number of players were forced, due to business commitments, to withdraw, among them Karl Bornemann, Dale Baker and Niall Goulding, the Co Sligo player faces an extremely tough task in retaining the crown.

Omelia, West of Ireland champion Noel Fox and East of Ireland champion Garth McGimpsey, the winner in 1988, are all in the field, and other current internationals include Adrian Morrow, Paddy Gribben, Andrew McCormick, two-time champion Eddie Power, Walker Cup player Jody Fanagan and David Dunne.

The teenage brigade is led by Michael Hoey, attempting to add the national championship to his Irish Amateur Open strokeplay victory in Royal Dublin last month, and Ricky Elliott, who won the Leinster Youths' Open in midweek. Gary Cullen, Pat Murray, Stephen Browne and Ciaran McMonagle are also very much in contention.

The object of the strokeplay qualifying is survival. "If you stray off the fairway at all, you could lose a ball," admitted Dundalk's Danny Coyle, a student at Berkeley in California who has arrived home from the American NCAA championships to compete. "But there is great variety on this course and it should prove a really interesting championship."

Indeed, Michael McGinley, winner of the North of Ireland championship two years ago and a brother of European Tour player Paul, agreed that the course was in "terrific" condition and would represent a worthy test. And, with six players from The Island in the field, there are those who could use local knowledge to good effect. Also, the Island connection is increased with the presence of Stuart Caul (Malahide) in the field. His father spent his entire working life as head greenkeeper at The Island and a plaque is erected in his memory at the second, now renamed "Caul's View," a hole which appropriately faces Malahide village.

A Caul win would provide a touch of romance, but the reality is that the winner should be one from the tried and trusted - Omelia will probably start out as pre-championship favourite.