Walsh's title on the line

Greg Norman is so taken with the idea of pitch and putt as a breeding ground for players that he has invested in a scheme to build such courses in urban areas in his native Australia.

But Ireland remains to the fore in the promotion of the short game, and the Paintworld Men's All-Ireland Strokeplay Championship - which takes place at Lucan Pitch and Putt Club this weekend - will feature some of the country's top players. John Walsh (Collins) will face a tough task in his attempt to retain the Donnelly Cup.

Indeed, there are five former national strokeplay champions in the senior field of 80 players, who will contest 54 holes: Anthony Malone (1989 and '91), Frank O'Donoghue (1992), Sean Downes (1993 and '94) and Chris Scannell (1995) join Walsh. Also, there are four matchplay winners in the field: Ray Murphy, who captured this year's title at Glenville earlier this month, Sean Harkins (winner in 1986 and '90), Johnny Campbell jnr (1996) and also Downes, who won the matchplay version in 1992 and '95.

The national junior and intermediate championships will be run in conjunction with the senior championship, with the cut in each event coming after 36 holes.