Four to rank with the best

Sparkling achievements of 12 years ago will adopt a fresh dimension on Friday, when the annual awards of the Irish Golf Writers' Association are announced. But the awards are also very much reflective of Ireland's current strength at the end of a year of unprecedented achievement in the amateur game.

The four recipients are: Leading professional - Darren Clarke; Leading male amateur - Paddy Gribben; Leading female amateur - Lillian Behan; Distinguished Services to Golf - Ita Butler.

Presentations will take place place at the IGWA's annual banquet, sponsored by Murphy's Brewery at Clontarf GC.

It will be the second time for Lillian Behan to receive an award which she first earned in 1985 on the occasion of a splendid victory in the British Women's Matchplay Championship at Ganton. It was a performance which brought a glowing tribute from the distinguished British golf writer, Elizabeth Price.

She reported: "Using what is hardly an orthodox style, she (Behan) forced her way to the attention of the selectors with brave, powerful golf. . . . She is an exciting player with, some say, a touch of the Ballesteros magic." Much of that magic has endured, as observers of her triumph in this year's Irish Women's Close Championship would have testified. Indeed Behan, who won scratch cups at The Curragh and The Heath, was also runner-up in the Leinster Championship (to Alison Coffey) and in the Irish Strokeplay Championship (to Suzie O'Brien).

But the line-up of award winners also creates a fascinating link with events in the autumn of 1986. On August 1st and 2nd of that year in far-off Prairie Dunes, Kansas, Behan was in a British and Irish team which made Curtis Cup history. Indeed the Curragh player made a handsome contribution of three points, including a singles win over Donna Ammaccapane, as her side became the first to win on American soil.

A month later she travelled to Whittington Barracks outside Birmingham with Curtis Cup colleagues Mary McKenna and Claire Dowling (nee Hourihane). There, Ita Butler was having her first experience as non-playing captain of the Ireland team in the Women's Home Internationals.

As it happened, Ireland won the title for the first time since 1980 at Cruden Bay, so launching Butler on a highly productive, second career in golf. After completing a two-year stint with Ireland, recognition came at LGU level when he captained the British and Irish Vaglaino Trophy Team to victory at Nairn in 1991.

Two years later, she was again in charge when the side won at Morfontaine, confirming her potential as a future Curtis Cup leader. The next step in that direction came at The Honors Course in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1994 when she was vice-captain to Liz Boatman of the team which forced a tie with the US, so retaining the trophy.

She was now ready to go it alone. And the setting could hardly have been more appropriate when she captained the team for the 1996 matches at Killarney. Memories remain fresh of her son, Jonathan, supplying her with appropriate team songs such as "Look for the Hero" and "You're the Best" to inspire her players to what became a decisive victory. Then came the disappointment of defeat last August, when the trophy was defended at Minikahda, Minneapolis. But the Elm Park member could reflect with pride on leadership of four British and Irish teams with which she suffered only that one setback.

Paddy Gribben returned recently from Chile where he became the second member of Warrenpoint GC to play in the Eisenhower Trophy. Unlike Ronan Rafferty in 1980, however, Gribben contributed to a first victory by Britain and Ireland in this prestigious event since the 1988 success in Ullva, Sweden.

It crowned a remarkable year for the 30-year-old Ulsterman who was reinstated as an amateur at the start of the 1997 season, having had a two-year flirtation with the professional game.

The highlight was unquestionably his achievement of becoming the first Irish winner of the European Strokeplay Championship. It came a month after he had captured the North of Ireland title at Royal Portrush and after he had wielded his trusty broomhandle putter to splendid effect when smashing the Warrenpoint course record with a 10-under-par 61.

"My expectations weren't great," he said of his triumph in Bordeaux. "I just wanted to produce a decent performance but after starting with two 67s, my sights moved to bigger things." Third and fourth rounds of 69 and 71 brought him victory by one stroke from Gary Wolstenholme and the bonus of a place in next year's British Open at Carnoustie.

There, he will meet fellow Ulsterman Clarke who is down to 18th in the World rankings having had his best tournament season since joining paid ranks in the autumn of 1990. Apart from victories in the Benson and Hedges International and the Volvo Masters, Clarke made a brilliant debut in the US Masters, finishing eighth behind Mark O'Meara.

His success in Europe was reflected in tournament earnings of £902,867 for second place in the Order of Merit. But there were lucrative bonuses not included in that figure. For instance, his reward from the Volvo Masters alone, amounted to £500,000.

It is not often that all four IGWA award winners could stand comparison with the best in their respective categories, internationally. But this is undoubtedly such a year.