Sport

Order of Merit winner Fox on a run of achievement

Amateur Scene /News round-up: New Walker Cup cap Noel Fox (Portmarnock), received another boost this week when he won the Willie…

Shay Keenan
Tue Aug 05 2003 - 01:00

Amateur Scene /News round-up: New Walker Cup cap Noel Fox (Portmarnock), received another boost this week when he won the Willie Gill Order of Merit award for the second time.

Winner in 2000, Fox was one of four players to tie on 90 points, along with Walker Cup team-mate Colm Moriarty (Athlone), Brian McElhinney (North West) and Michael McGeady (City of Derry). But Fox, by virtue of his victory in the Irish Amateur Open Championship at Royal Dublin in May, topped the Order of Merit table.

Moriarty would have clinched the title had he won the South of Ireland Championship, but he lost by one hole to Mervyn Owens of Mallow in the final.

McElhinney, the North of Ireland champion, and Michael McGeady, who had good finishes at the Irish Amateur Open and South of Ireland, also had their chances to claim the merit award, but narrowly missed out.

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Irish Amateur Close champion Mark O'Sullivan (Galway), John Foster (Ballyclare), and Michael Sinclair (Knock) all finished a further five points back on 85, with Justin Kehoe on 80. Darren Crowe (Dunmurry) and Desmond Morgan (Mullingar) complete the top 10 on 70 points.

Previous winners of the Willie Gill Award include Philip Walton (1982), Walker Cup captain Garth McGimpsey (1984, 1988, 1993), Darren Clarke (1989, 1990), Padraig Harrington (1994, 1995) and Peter Lawrie (1996).

Meanwhile, Fox and Moriarty will have other home duties before they take their places on the Walker Cup team at Ganton.

They have been named to lead strong Leinster and Connacht teams respectively for the Golfsure-sponsored Interprovincial Championship over the challenging Ballybunion links on August 13th to 15th

Leinster and Ulster have dominated the championships in recent years, but Connacht made a bold bid for the title last year at Slieve Russell and cannot be ruled out after naming a young side for this year's campaign.

Fox will be joined by internationals Justin Kehoe, Michael McDermott (Stackstown), John McGinn (Greenore) and Mark Campbell (Stackstown), Mark Ryan, who won the West of Ireland at Rosses Point, and his brother David, who won both Munster and Leinster Youths titles this year. Also on this year's Leinster team for the first time is Mullingar's Des Morgan, who won the Midland Scratch Cup at Carlow earlier in the season.

James Barton and Mark Staunton (both from Ballinasloe Golf Club) make debuts at this level for Connacht, both having represented the province at Boys and Youths level in recent years.

Champions Ulster call up North of Ireland champion Brian McElhinney (North West) and Richard Kilpatrick, the runner-up in the East of Ireland, for their first senior caps.

Munster's last success was, coincidentally, in 1997 at Ballybunion - the last of five titles in the 90s - and they are looking to recapture that form. They will have the current South of Ireland champion in Mervyn Owens, who captured the title in fine style in Lahinch last week, along with his Mallow clubmate David Finn, who reached the quarter-final stage of the South.

The team also has the experience of Tom Cleary (Cork), Karl Bornemann (Douglas), Stephen Moloney (Castletroy) and John Morris jnr (Mullingar). Both Mark Collins (Sutton) and Colwyn Martin (Nenagh) earn their place on the team again, with Clancy Bowe (Tramore) and Niall Turner (Muskerry) making senior debuts, having represented Munster at both Youths and Boys levels.

ULSTER: Darren Crowe (Dunmurry), Johnny Foster (Ballyclare), Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge), Rory Leonard (Banbridge), Gareth Maybin (Ballyclare), Colm Montgomery (Malone), Andrew McCormack (Clandeboye), Brian McElhinney (North West), Michael McGeady (City of Derry), Michael Sinclair (Knock).

LEINSTER: Greg Bowden (Hermitage), Mark Campbell (Stackstown), Noel Fox (Portmarnock), Justin Kehoe (Birr), Robert McCarthy (The Island), Michael McDermott (Stackstown), John McGinn (Greenore), Des Morgan (Mullingar), David Ryan (Grange), Mark Ryan (Grange).

MUNSTER: Karl Bornemann (Douglas), Clancy Bowe (Tramore), Mark Collins (Sutton), Tom Cleary (Cork), David Finn (Mallow), Colwyn Martin (Nenagh), John Morris jnr (Mullingar), Stephen Moloney (Castletroy), Mervyn Owens (Mallow), Niall Turner (Muskerry).

CONNACHT: James Barton (Ballinasloe), David Dunne (Royal Dublin), Noel Kavanagh (Westport), Derek McNamara (Connemara), Martin McTernan (Co Sligo), Sean McTernan (Co Sligo), Colm Moriarty (Athlone), Mark O'Sullivan (Galway), Mark Rowe (Athlone), Mark Staunton (Ballinasloe).