Season of surprises to continue in South

GOLF: For many of the country's best players, much of this season has been played out with the Far East on their minds; indeed, time is running out for those with serious pretensions of playing on Ireland's three-man team for the World Amateur Team Championships - for the Eisenhower Trophy - in Malaysia.

And, as such, the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch, which commences today, pretty much represents a visit to the last chance saloon for many aspirants.

Apart from some extra tiger rough, the old course on the Co Clare links is much changed from a year ago when Justin Kehoe - one of those with his eyes on a trip to the South China Sea - was an emphatic winner.

Since then, the old third hole, a par three that was a graveyard for many a poor soul in sudden-death play, has gone and the tweaking and redesign of the course has resulted in a lay-out that is some 300 yards longer than this time last year.

One of the featured new holes is the eighth, a par three of 163 yards, which is located in the towering dunes.

When Phil Mickelson, the world's number two golfer and an honorary member of the Lahinch club, played this hole on a preview basis last summer, he raved about it.

Now, competitors in the South will get to play it for real - and, all in all, it is sure to represent a stern challenge for Ireland's elite amateurs and also those who have travelled from abroad, including France's elite squad.

Yet, the season to date has been so full of surprises that nothing can be taken for granted. Kehoe, if only for his performance last year when he decimated Stephen Browne in the final, will start as favourite but, with 16 of the 18-man international panel in action, and the foreign influence, it really is wide open.

This championship is unique from all the others in that it goes straight into a matchplay format, with the first round starting today and then the top 64 ranked players joining the fray tomorrow.

Among those in the field are Noel Fox, winner of the East of Ireland, Gareth Maybin, the recent winner of the North of Ireland, and John McGinn, the Irish close champion.

While the South is the last domestic championship of the season, a number of players with the Eisenhower on their minds will get a further chance to impress the selectors in next month's European Individual Championship in Troia, Portugal.

Fox, Kehoe, McGinn, Maybin, Tim Rice and Colm Moriarty have been selected to represent Ireland in that championship on August 21st-24th.