The newly crowned British Amateur Champion, Brian McElhinney, will be the star attraction when the Golfsure-sponsored Irish Close Championship tees-off at Westport Golf Club on Saturday.
Now assure of a place on the Walker Cup team to face the US at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois, on August 13th-14th, McElhinney will be keen to hold on to the Irish title he won by beating his North West club-mate Michael McGeady in last year's final at Donegal Golf Club.
The first tee at Westport has sent many famous Irish golfers on their journey around the magnificent parkland course at Carrowholly over the last 30 years, a list that will no doubt be mentioned in their centenary publication in 2008. However, this chapter will have to be added to, as on Saturday next at 8.42am McElhinney will tee off in the first round.
The Irish Close Championship brings the curtain down on what has been a busy 17-days for the leading amateur players. Having played in the British Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale, then on to the East of Ireland, which finished at Co Louth yesterday, they set out today for Westport and the blue riband of Irish golf.
In what many see as a wide-open event, the Carrowholly course, built on 260 acres of what was formally part of the Lord Sligo estate, will prove a genuine test for others hoping to secure a Walker Cup berth.
Early season form at the West of Ireland suggested that golfing sensation Rory McIlroy would carry all before him in 2005. However, in recent weeks his form has dipped slightly and he will be one of many hoping to wrestle the title from defending champion McElhinney.
Darren Crowe played exceptionally well in last week's British Amateur Championship and certainly has played his way into possible Walker Cup selection. Crowe made it to the quarter-final before losing to Lloyd Saltman.
Others looking forward to a long week in the west are last year's finalist McGeady, Sean McTernan of Co Sligo, former champion John McGinn from Laytown and Bettystown, and from the younger brigade, Cian McNamara of Limerick and Niall Kearney of Royal Dublin.
Keeping an eye on the proceedings will be Walker Cup captain Garth McGimpsey, another of Ireland's winner's of the British Amateur Championship, and selectors Frank Carroll and Tony Disley.
Local interest will centre on Liam Halpin, the course record holder, with a superb 67 shot during open week in 1998, played in the Close in 1997, David Stapleton who has recently joined Westport, Irish Youth International Cathal O'Malley and Noel Kavanagh, who is back home from America.
Meanwhile, 11 Irish players have their sights set on making it an Irish double when the British Women's Amateur Championship gets under way at Littlestone Golf Club in Kent today.
Curtis Cup hero Clare Coughlan and Irish champion Deirdre Smith lead a strong Irish entry that also includes Maria Dunne, recent winner of the Leinster Championship, Tara and Karen Delaney of Carlow, Martina Gillen from Beaverstown and Maura Morrin of the Curragh.
Littlestone Golf Club has a long association with the staging of the British Women's Amateur. It was in 1894 that Littlestone hosted the second Amateur Championship and Lady Margaret Scott won her second title in a repeat of her defeat, 12 months earlier, of Issette Pearson, the Honorary Secretary of the newly constituted Ladies' Golf Union.
Not many more than 40 competitors played then, but today 15 countries will be represented as players compete one of golf's most coveted trophies.
Last year at Gullane, Louise Stahle of Sweden defeated Anna Highgate in a championship that was often disrupted by rain.
The Irish Youths Amateur Open Championship is destined to have a new name on its list of winners this year, as 75 young golfers head to Portumna Golf Club from June 23rd-24rd for the 37 th staging of the event.
Twenty-five 25 overseas players have made the cut, which fell at a record low of 1.7. Countries represented in the championship include Austria, Germany, England, Wales, Scotland and Qatar, plus 50 home players.
Leading the Irish challenge is a quartet of Munster golfers: Keith Crowley of Lee Valley, Kenny McGarry from Bandon, Limerick's McNamara and Aaron O'Callaghan of Douglas.
Holywood's McIlroy will not be defending the title he won at Clandeboye last year.
Started in 1969, the Irish Youths boasts an impressive list of past winners, including Mark Gannon (1971 and 1972), John McHenry (1980, '81 and '85), Paul McGinley (1988), Graeme McDowell (1999 and 2000) and McIlroy (2004).
