Amateur Scene: Irish international Marian Riordan from Tipperary Golf Club is one of 14 recipients included in this year's Golf Busary Scheme run by the Royal & Ancient.
The R & A has increased the number of bursaries from 10 to 14 which reflects the increasing number of golfers who are choosing to study in the UK and Ireland while continuing to play amateur golf at the highest level. Included for the first time in these awards is international player Riordan, who was also a member of the winning Munster team at the women's interprovincials at Mount Wolseley in August.
Riordan (22), who is in her final year of a degree course in recreation and business management at Waterford IT, has been given a grant of £3,000. The bursaries are given for each year of a student's course to help offset educational expenses and are not restricted to meeting costs associated with competitive golf. The Busaries range from £1,500 to £5,000.
Also included is Jonathan Evans, a member of England's A squad and a player who had top placings in both the Lytham and Brabazon Trophies. From further afield, Nuno Brito e Cunha, a Portuguese player who won their amateur championship while still a junior, is the first overseas player to be awarded an elite bursary to study in the UK.
Other recipients of first-time awards include outstanding English junior Sophie Walker, English girl international Fay Sanderson, Scottish youth cap David Sutton and Yorkshire county players Richard Oddy and James Mason.
In announcing these awards for academic year 2002-03, Duncan Weir, the R&A's golf development secretary said: "The R&A is committed to developing its golf bursary scheme so that it becomes a viable alternative to the NCAA Scholarships offered in the United States. Not only are we awarding bursaries to players who have already reached full international status, but are supporting others who have shown the potential to reach this level."
Meanwhile, Riordan is among 32 players nominated by the ILGU for the annual winter training programme, which will take place over several weekends in November, January, February and March. The programme, designed by David Kearney from the DK Academy at Galway Driving Range, will cover all aspects of the game.
"The first sessions will include work on all elements of the swing and short game," said Mary McKenna, chairperson of the training committee. "Two of the important aspects of the game will be included in the sessions after Christmas with the appointment of a sports psychologist to ensure more work is done on the mental game."
Missing from the winter programme, however, will be Curtis Cup player Alison Coffey, who is studying to further her career in engineering and Martina Gillen, Heather Nolan and Maria Dunne, who are studying in the US.
The Eastern District finals will bring the curtain down on competitive golf in Leinster over the next week with the finals of the Townsend foursomes and autumn team matches scheduled for Hermitage, The Island and Royal Tara. Hermitage will have home advantage in the Townsend foursomes on Thursday when they meet The Island in the first leg of the final with the return at The Island on Saturday (10.30).
The Island, with most of last year's winning team on duty again, will be anxious to capture back-to-back titles while Hermitage - seeking their first win in the competition for some time - can call on most of the team that won the second team trophy in 1999.
Hazel Grove will be chasing a double at Royal Tara on Monday next in the Clarins-sponsored autumn team finals. Hazel Grove meet Westmanstown in the fourth-team final and take on Castlewarden in the fifth-team decider. The second team final brings together Laytown and Bettystown and Edmondstown while the third-team decider is between The K Club and Kilternan.
Meanwhile, Waterford's Gavin McNeill departs this week for Johannesburg where he is to play in six tournaments on the South African circuit in the hope of gaining his tour card for 2003. Having suffered a mid-season injury, McNeill missed out on a number of events including the World team trophy in Kuala Lumpur but has recovered his earlier form as was evident with his victory in the Waterford Crystal Scratch Cup over his home course recently.
TOWNSEND FOURSOMES FINAL: Hermitage (C Cahill, G Clancy, R-M Hayes, LGreen, A Murray, D O'Sullivan, B Harte, B O'Farrell. Team Captain: D Doyle); The Island (P Murphy, G Ryan, A Dwyer, M Gartland, M Dinan, K Culhane, G McMullen, I Poynton, E Lowe, R Cassidy, D-M Conaty. Team Captain: K Quinn).
ILGU SQUADS (dates for winter training): Nov 9th-10th, Jan 25th-26th and Mar 1st-2nd: C Coughlan, E Dowdall, T Mangan, M Riordan, A Duggan, G O'Leary, D McGowan, S Keane, K Delaney, T Delaney, S O'Sullivan, M Morrin. Nov 23rd-24th, Feb 1st-2nd and Mar 8th-9th: E Dickson, D Smith, A Kingston, A M Dalton, D Marie Conaty, C Tucker, D McVeigh, J Kinnear and N Kitching. Nov 30th-Dec 1st. Feb 8th-9th and Mar 15th-16th: Y Guinan, E Gilmore, R Cassidy, L Humphries, A O'Callaghan, K Leyden, F Carroll, C Reid, Ni McMahon, L Holmes.
