Amateur scene: A place in the Nissan Irish Open is the added incentive for Ireland's amateurs in the 120-strong field for the AIB-sponsored Irish Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Carton House on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
West of Ireland champion Rory McIlroy, has already been selected by the Golfing Union of Ireland to compete in the Irish Open which will be played over the Montgomerie course at Carton House Golf Club on Thursday to Sunday, May 19th to 22nd, while the two remaining place will be decided this weekend.
McIlroy from Holywood Golf Club in Co Down, who celebrates his 16th birthday tomorrow, and Welsh Walker Cup player Nigel Edwards head a star-studded field that includes 11 of the Walker Cup squad who are bidding for a place on the Britain and Ireland team to face the USA at the Chicago Golf Club next August.
The championship has also attracted 61 overseas players, including the defending champion Craig Smith (Wales).
The record overseas entry includes players from Austria, France, Finland, Germany, Portugal, South Africa, including Adrian Schwartzel, brother of Charl, who won the Brabazon Trophy at Deal in 2002, the Czech Republic, England, Scotland, Wales, Jersey, Isle of Man and seven members of the Metropolitan Golf Association of New York team (MGA) who will play an international match against the GUI selection on Wednesday and Thursday, May 11th and 12th, at Carton House.
Irish players have not being enjoying the best of form in recent events with a poor showing in the Sherry Cup and only Michael McGeady and Mark Campbell making the cut at last week's Lytham Trophy at Royal Lytham and St Anne's.
Darren Crowe and Seán McTernan performed well in Australia earlier in the season while Brian McElhinney will be hoping for a return to the form that saw him selected in the Walker Cup squad last year.
Victory for one of that number would boost his chances of a place in the team that will defend the Walker Cup in Chicago.
The Scots will be well represented by Andrew McArthur, George Murray, Richard Ramsay, Lloyd Saltman and Gareth Wright, while Edwards and James Williams will carry the Welsh Dragon.
Connacht Interprovincial Kenneth Fahey played a major part as the University of Rhode Island team recorded its second-straight first-place finish in the URI Spring Invitational at Green Garden Valley Country Club over the weekend.
The Rams, coming off winning their seventh-straight New England Division One Championship last weekend at Triggs Memorial Golf Course, won by five strokes from George Washington (297) with the Army third at 299.
Rhode Island senior Fahey and Jason Pannone (East Greenwich, RI) each shot even-par 71s to tie for third place in the individual honours. It was Fahey's fourth top-10 finish in the last five tournaments and Pannone's fourth top-10 finish of the year.
Carlow's Tara Delaney is part of the five-strong Kent State University women's golf team that will travel to Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, for the NCAA Central Regional Championship next weekend. Kent State is one of 21 teams in the play-offs, with the top eight teams and two individuals advancing to the NCAA Championship finals on May 17th-20th in Sunriver, Oregon.
Kent State is making its fifth consecutive NCAA Championship appearance and fifth overall in the seven-year history of the women's golf programme.
