It's indicative of the more aggressive approach adopted by the Irish Ladies Golf Union in recent times that no less than eight players will be dispatched to compete in the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews on March 29th-30th, an event which effectively kick-starts the new season.
Interestingly, the raiding party, which doesn't include Irish champion Lillian Behan, contains a number of young players who are likely to represent the immediate future of Irish women's golf. Elaine Dowdall, a golfing scholarship student in UCD, Tricia Mangan and Michelle McGreevey are players with a great deal of promise and that trend is continued for the Scottish Open Strokeplay championship in Royal Troon next month which sees Jenny Gannon and Maura Morrin also included in the official ILGU party.
The Irish representatives in St Andrews will be Dowdall, Mangan, McGreevey, Suzie O'Brien, Alison Coffey, Oonagh Purfield, Hazel Kavanagh and Yvonne Cassidy.
Eight Irish players will also compete in the Scottish Strokeplay for the Helen Holm Trophy at Troon on April 24th-25th. Mangan, Coffey, Purfield and Kavanagh are again selected and they will be joined by Morrin, Gannon, Emma Dickson and Sinead Keane.
Meanwhile, Irish captain Mick Craddock and national coach Howard Bennett will conduct a weeklong training session at Clube Quinta do Peru, near Lisbon in Portugal, starting on Sunday next. Fourteen players will participate in the training camp.
Three of the players - Gary Cullen, Johnny Foster and Rory Leonard - are competing in the Portugese Amateur Open championship at Praia d'El Rey this week and will join up with the rest of the party on their arrival in Lisbon on Sunday.
Two other players, Paddy Gribben and Noel Fox, are involved in Walker Cup training this week in Nairn for September's match against the United States but will join up with the travelling party in London for the flight to Lisbon.
The training camp is viewed as important preparation for a season in which many players will be fighting for a place on the Irish team for the European Team championships in Italy in July. Incidentally, Michael Hoey, who is on scholarship to Clemson and one of seven players excused from attending this week's Walker Cup session in Nairn, is currently placed 16th in the NCAAA rankings in the United States.
IRISH PANEL (for training week in Portugal, March 21st-28th) - K Bornemann (Douglas), P Collier (Lahinch), G Cullen (Beaverstown), D Dunne (Co Sligo), J Foster (Ballyclare), N Fox (Portmarnock), P Gribben (Warrenpoint), D Jones (City of Derry), A McCormick (Scrabo), C McMonagle (Dunfanaghy), A Morrow (Portmarnock), R Leonard (Banbridge), P Martin (Balmoral), A Thomas (Tramore).
Swede Patrik Sjoland, who feared he had missed out on a masters debut next month, will now play at Augusta. The 27-year-old thought he might have to reach the world's top 50 to receive and invitation. He dropped to 53rd last week but has finally been rewarded for finishing fifth on the European Order of Merit last season.
