Bryan Omelia arrived back in Dublin last night, still thinking of what might have been. The Irish international was pipped by one shot by Sweden's Peter Hansson - who birdied four of the last six holes - in the English Amateur Open Strokeplay Championship for the Brabazon Trophy at Formby last weekend, and will again assume the role of invader this weekend.

Omelia and fellow-Walker Cup panellist Noel Fox, winner of the West of Ireland championship, will compete in the St Andrews Links Trophy. Irish Youth's international Ciaran McMonagle is also competing.

Fox (Portmarnock) and McMonagle (Dunfanaghy) will play the New Course on Saturday morning and the Old Course in the evening, while Omelia plays the Old Course first. The cut on Saturday evening will result in the top 36 players progressing to a further two rounds of strokeplay on Sunday.

Assuming the captaincy of a number of international teams hasn't halted Claire Dowling's capacity to win championships.

Dowling, a five-time Irish champion, who is currently captain of the Irish team and will also manage the British and Irish three-player team that competes in the Espirito Santo (World championship) in Chile next November, claimed a hat-trick of Warwickshire county titles last week.

"It was nice to win," admitted Dowling, but added: "However, it says something about the standard when you have two 40 year olds in the final." Dowling beat former county champion Marsha Button at the 21st in the final at Walmley to complete a three-in-a-row. Although her competitive appearances are somewhat limited these days, Dowling will play in the British Championship at Little Aston next month.

Intriguingly, Dowling and Peter McEvoy, captain of the Walker Cup team, are both members of Copt Heath Golf Club - and she has put forward an interesting proposal to have a joint-session at the Warwickshire course in October prior to the team's departure for South America.