Darren Crowe and Michael McGeady, second and third behind the winner, Scotland's Richard Ramsay, in the Irish Amateur Stokeplay Championship at Carton House over the weekend will get another chance to test their skills over the excellent O'Meara course.
They will lead an eight-man Irish team against the Metropolitan Association of New York (MGA) in the bi-annual match for the Governor Hugh Carey Cup tomorrow and Thursday.
Crowe (Dunmurry) and McGeady (North West), the only player to break par in the final two rounds, will be joined by Irish Close champion Brian McElhinney (North West), Seán McTernan (Co Sligo), Nicholas Grant (Clandeboye), Stephen Crowe (Dunmurry), Brendan McCarroll (Ballyliffin) and Harry Diamond (Holywood) as the international season gets into full swing.
The Carey Cup is played in a similar in format to the Walker Cup and consists of fourball and foursomes tomorrow and eight singles on Thursday.
The MGA captured the inaugural Cup in 1996, but the Golf Union of Ireland has won the last four matches, in 1998 at the Portmarnock Hotel and Links, in 1999 at the Maidstone Club in East Hampton, New York, in 2001 at Portmarnock Golf Club and at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in 2003.
Two previous competitions between the sides, in 1990 at Metedeconk National GC in Jackson, NJ and at Waterville GC, Kerry in 1991 were shared.
Eastern District champions Co Louth have drawn Hermitage in the first round of the Suzuki Irish Women's Senior Cup at Newlands GC on May 23rd-24th.
Defending champions Royal Portrush of the Northern District will start favourites to lift their third All-Ireland title in a row, however, when the finals are played at Woodstock GC in Ennis in September.
Kilkenny, who were beaten in last year's final, are certain to be strong once again in the Midlands while Roscommon and Killarney are sure to be in the final shake-up in the other districts. There will be no easy wins for Kilkenny, however, and they will face stern competition from a Carlow team that will include international sisters Tara and Karen Delaney.
The championships get under way on May 21st when qualifying in the Southern District takes place in Lahinch GC. The dates for the other qualifying rounds are: Northern District, May 30th-31st at Castle Hume; Midland District, July 1st-2nd at Kilkenny; Western District, July 8th-9th at Ballinrobe GC.
The Eastern District draw is: Co Louth v Hermitage; Headford v Milltown; Laytown and Bettystown v Grange; Howth v Greystones; Newland v Powerscourt; Woodbrook v Elm Park; Greenore v Castle; Royal Tara v The Island.
Meanwhile, a final round of three-over-par 75 in the NCAA Division One Women's Central Regional championship over The Rawls course at Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday just failed to earn Tara Delaney a place in the NCAA championships at Sunriver, Oregon, later this month.
Freshman Delaney was the most consistent performer for the Kent State University throughout the tournament. She started out the final round tied for 14th and finished tied for 13th with a nine over par total of 225 after rounds of 74, 76 and 75.
Auburn scooped the team and individual awards with a stunning victory by Diana Ramage who shot 68, 77 and 67 for a four-under-par total of 212 to win by a seven-shot margin. The runner-up was Sweden's British Open Amateur Champion Louise Stahle (Arizona State) who scored 72, 77 and 70. Karen Delaney, shot rounds of 81, 79 and 78 for an 80th-place tie on 238.
Galway's Kenny Fahey helped Rhode Island University to third place in the weather interrupted Atlantic 10 Championship at Newport National GC but the conditions were just too raw and a decision was made to end the championship.
Reduced to 27 holes because of the weather, Rhode Island finished third place with a 21-over par 453 total, two strokes behind second-placed George Washington (451). Xavier won its second Atlantic 10 crown in the last three years with a five-under par 427.
In the individual event Fahey finished on 12 over par 120 after rounds of 81 and 39.
Defending champion, Mick Morris from Portmarnock will head a strong field for the Irish Seniors Championship at Royal Co Down on May 26th-27th.
But such is the strength of the field that the cut-off point for this year's championship was 4.4, with two players on that mark making the field.
A waiting list of 50 entrants has been drawn up, consisting of players with handicaps ranging from 4.4 to 5.3.
