Quality field remains despite abstentions

In a year when the Lahinch club has adopted the corinthian spirit and proceeded with the event in the absence of a sponsor, the pity is that so many of the country's top amateurs, for whatever reason, have been forced to miss the South of Ireland Championship which starts at the Co Clare links today.

Ken Kearney, an original entrant, yesterday became the latest "big gun" to absent himself, due to business commitments.

Walker Cup debutants Keith Nolan and Richard Coughlan, who are bound for Quaker Ridge in New York next week to acquaint themselves with the course prior to the joust with the Americans, had earlier withdrawn at the behest of the British and Irish selectors, while Garth McGimpsey was also unavailable to play, thus missing out on the chance to annex the only provincial title which has evaded his grasp in a fine career.

Yet, it's an indication of the strength in depth in the Irish game at the present time that there remains a rich vein of quality right through the field, including three members of the Irish team - Jody Fanagan, Noel Fox and Irish Close champion Peter Lawrie - which finished third in the recent European championships at Portmarnock. Other current internationals competing are Adrian Morrow, Michael McGinley, John Morris, Bryan Omelia, Eddie Power and Pat Murray.

Fanagan, winner of the West of Ireland already this season, is also joined by current East of Ireland champion Sean Quinlivan.

Portmarnock's Morrow is defending the title he won for a second time last year and, indeed, is one of seven previous champions in the championship which, of the four provincial tests, is unique in that there is no strokeplay qualifying and the competitors are immediately tossed into matchplay fare.

The top players (64 originally, but reduced by three yesterday with the withdrawals of Kearney, Pat Killeen and Gordon Forbes) are at least spared first round duty and receive byes into tomorrow's second round. Incidentally, Fanagan (1995), Peter Sheehan ('93), Barry Reddan ('87), Paraic O'Rourke ('79, '81 and '85), Mick Morris ('82) and Michael Burns ('80) are the other past holders' of the South in action.

With the Irish team for the Home Internationals due to be finalised after the close championship in Westport in two weeks, the international selectors will use the South to cast an eye over some of the country's up-and-coming young players (among them Nigel Howley, Johnny Foster and Ciaran McMonagle). Meanwhile, two players returned to the amateur ranks from the professional game, Niall Goulding and Paddy Gribben, will also command some attention in the last of the season's provincial tests, the final of which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday afternoon. A lot of golf will take place before then, however, and Ballinascorney's Graham Smith and David O'Donovan of Muskerry get the championship rolling with a 7.00 a.m. tee-off time today, some nine and a half hours before the day's 64th match heads off.