Amateur Scene: Irish international Cian McNamara sets out on a treble mission in a busy schedule that will take him from Dundalk to Lahinch and on to Antwerp in Belgium.
Today the Limerick player will lead the Munster Youths team in the Interprovincial Championship at Dundalk GC; on Sunday, he sets out in defence of his South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch, and then it's on to Belgium for the European Individual Championship.
McNamara won an epic South last year when he beat Hermitage's Greg Bowden at the 21st hole of a thrilling final. This year he begins his defence with a game against the winners of Mark O'Brien (The Heath) and Louis Cunningham (Moate) in the second round.
Bowden, meanwhile, will face the winner of Sean Alley (Co Tipperary) and John Neary (Donegal) in his bid to claim his first major title. The pair, however, will face strong opposition despite the absence of Brian McElhinney, the British Amateur champion, and Rory McIlroy, winner of the West and Close titles already this year.
McElhinney misses out because he is on a Walker Cup training week with the Britain and Ireland team in Valderrama, while McIlroy, after a long and busy schedule, is taking a rest before the European tests.
However, the rest of Mark Gannon's elite squad will be on duty, with Darren Crowe among the favourites when he opens his account against the winner of the match between Noel Payne (Ennis) and David Conway of Mallow. Others with an eye on the title are Jim Carvill, winner of the East of Ireland title, Gareth Shaw the recent winner of the North Championship, Conor Doran from Banbridge and Michael McGeady, who takes on the winner of Kieran McCarthy (Kinsale) and Michael McGinley (Grange) in the second round.
McElhinney and McIlroy will be back in action when they tee up in the six-man Irish assault on the European Individual Championship at the Antwerp International Golf Club in Belgium from August 17th to 20th.
The pair will be joined by Doran, Crowe, McGeady and McNamara as they try to continue Ireland's fine record in the event. McElhinney won the title in 2003 while Stephen Browne, now on the European Tour, won in 2001 and Paddy Gribben (Warrenpoint) in 1998.
Play begins on Saturday with the 64 higher handicaps meeting in the first round with the winners going forward to meet the lowest 64 handicap players in the second round on Sunday. The semi-finals and final are scheduled for Wednesday.
The GUI have accepted an invitation to send a six-man team to Killarney for the Ireland Ryder Cup Challenge, a European Challenge Tour event to mark the Ryder Cup in Ireland next year. The six are: Greg Bowden (Hermitage), Mark Campbell (Stackstown), Aengus McAllister (Portmarnock), Aaron O'Callaghan (Douglas), Mark O'Sullivan (Galway) and Mervyn Owens (Mallow).
Meanwhile, 13-year-old Stephanie Meadow has been rewarded for her current form by her selection on the eight-player Irish team for the Girls Home International matches at Worplesdon Golf Club on August 3rd to 5th. Joining Meadow are new caps Victoria Bradshaw, Laura Holmes and Ann McCormack. Danielle McVeigh, recent winner of the Irish Girls Close Championship, leads the Irish challenge as they look to avenge last year's defeat by England when Ireland were narrowly beaten on countback at Strathaven in Scotland.
Meadow and her team-mates will be on show next weekend when an 81-strong international field play in the Irish Open Strokeplay Championship at Hermitage Golf Club on Saturday and Sunday.
Carlow's Tara Delaney will be defending her title. With a host of Irish Senior and Junior Internationals on show, Delaney will have to be at her best if she is to retain the honours she won last year at Cork Golf Club when she beat Beaverstown's Martina Gillen with a birdie three at the eighth tie hole.
Gillen, Claire Coughlan and Irish champion Tricia Mangan will not be playing in this year's championship as they are on Vagliano Trophy duty in Chantilly, Paris. The field has 21 visitors from overseas and, with a handicap limit of seven, plenty of entertainment is guaranteed.
Catherine Tucker, runner-up to Mangan at this year's Irish Close Championship at Portsalon, is another name to look for on Sunday evening, as is Co Louth's Jennifer Gannon, who has won the last two Hermitage Scratch Cups over the 18 hole parkland course.
IRELAND GIRLS (for Home Internationals, Worplesdon GC, August 3rd-5th) Victoria Bradshaw, Fiona Carroll, Sarah Faller, Emma Gilmore, Laura Holmes, Ann McCormack, Stephanie Meadow, Danielle McVeigh. Reserves: Linda Toomey, Charlene Reid.
IRELAND GIRLS (for Harder German Masters, Mannheim, August 16th-18th): Linda Toomey, Ciara Walsh. Reserves: Charlene Reid, Louise Coffey.
IRELAND MEN (for European Individual Championship, Antwerp, August 17th-20th): Connor Doran (Banbridge), Darren Crowe (Dunmurry), Brian McElhinney (North West), Michael McGeady (North West), Rory McIlroy (Holywood), Cian McNamara (Limerick).
