ALTHOUGH Keith Nolan and Riehie Coughian have been selected to make debut appearances, Jody Fanagan's exclusion from the 10-man Britain and Ireland team to defend the Walker Cup in the match against the United States at Quaker Ridge Golf Club, New York, on August 9th-10th, is a major affront to the Irish game.
Two representatives - Nolan, from Bray, and CoughIan, from Birr, bringing to 25 the number of Irishmen to play in the event since it was first contested in 1992 - is seant reward for Ireland's third place finish in the European Championships at Portmarnock two weeks ago.
Scotland, who finished as runners-up to Spain (the eountry who beat Ireland in the semi-finals), have five players on the US-bound team. England have two, despite finishing in a poor 10th position in the Europeans, while Wales have a solitary representative. The team is: Nolan, CoughIan (Ireland), Miehael Brooks, Barelay Howard, Graham Rankin, Craig Watson and Steven Young (Scot-
land), Justin Rose and Gary Wolstenholme (England), and David Park (Wales). Rose, who will be 17 yearn and 10 days old on the opening day of the event, becomes the youngest eompetitor ever in the event, beating Ronan Rafferty (17 years 7 months) who played in 1981.
Fanagan, who is only named as second reserve, secured the winning point in assisting Britain and Ireland to a famous sueeess, over an Ameriean team which ineluded Tiger Woods, at Royal Porthcawl two years ago. The Milltown player appears to have paid an exorbitantly high priee for two poor strokeplay rounds (85, 81) in the European Championships.
Fanagan, in faet, eventually seeured three points out of three in the matehplay matehes of that event.
Wolstenholme, who had and equally bad strokeplay qualifying seetion With rounds of 84 and 82 in Portmarnoek, appears to have been given the benefit of the doubt at Fanagan's expense. The Englishman duly won the Welsh strokeplay ehampionship at Conwy last weekend - swaying the seleetors - and was nine shots ahead of Park, who is extremely fortunate to gain seleetion.
Nolan and CoughIan, who made major impressions on the NCAA eireuit while on golfing seholarships to the USA, are worthy additions to the list of Irish players who have won Walker Cup honours. Indeed, the duo are eurrently in the United States - along with Irish close ehampion Peter Lawrie - for the Palmer Cup at Bay Hill later this week when British and Irish eollegiate students faee their Ameriean eounterparts.
Lawrie's omission from the Walker Cup team means he will be able to defend his national title at Westport next month.
Meanwhile, the Irish boys' team competing in the European Boys Championship in Slovenia, starting tomorrow, is: Mark Campbell (Staekstown), Lee Dalton (Waterford), David Jones (City of Derry), Graeme MeDowell (Rathmore), Sean MeTernan (Co Sligo), Robin Symes (Shandon Park).
A dream trip to eQmpete in two tournaments on the South American Tour will be awarded to the winner of the Irish PGA Assistants Championship, sponsored by Riehmond Recruitment, whieh takes plaee at Limerick County Golf & Country Club, Ballyneety, on July 22nd-25th,
The tournaments involved are the Los Leones Chile Open and the Prinee of Wales Open, both seheduled for Santiago in November.
