Home unions go separate ways on Eisenhower

The Warrenpoint golfer Paddy Gribben is likely to be the subject of a quiz question in years to come. If, as expected, the Royal and Ancient ratify a proposal to allow the four home golfing unions to compete individually in future Eisenhower Trophy matches, then Gribben will be the last Irish golfer to play for the Britain and Ireland team in the aforementioned tournament.

He did so two years ago when Britain and Ireland triumphed in Chile. Gribben has since turned professional for a second time. The trophy was first played for in 1958 at St Andrews when Australia were the winners.

The Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) first drafted a proposal about five years ago when there was a change in the ruling seeking to have the home unions compete on an individual basis in the four man team event, amateur golf's equivalent to the World Cup.

The GUI had long been of the opinion that the selection process - the R&A picked the Britain and Ireland team - was flawed from an Irish perspective and down the years Irish golfers had not enjoyed an equitable share of places on the team. Joe Carr, Ronan Rafferty, Philip Walton, Eoghan O'Connell, Garth McGimpsey and Gribben had hoped that for the good of golf in this country they would be allowed to enter an Ireland team. While smaller nations like Ireland and Wales may periodically struggle to find 10 strong players in the case of the Home internationals, a four man team presents no such problem.

The three other unions were not averse to the recommendation but the R&A was not enamoured - feeling that the four union team enjoyed a historic precedent and that it would impact upon the Walker Cup. In deference to the R&A, the GUI agreed to wait until there was unanimous agreement amongst the four home unions.

When Scotland put forward the proposal again 12 months ago for different reasons, it was agreed that four separate entities in Eisenhower terms represented the future and the application would be approved. An announcement is expected this week to confirm approval of the proposal.

President of the GUI Paddy Murphy and Secretary Shay Smith were in Berlin last week - this year's venue for the Eisenhower - but their presence had little to do with the decision on the split. Instead they were lobbying, with the backing of Sports Council supremo John Treacy, to host the Eisenhower Trophy in 2006.

There is no way that the GUI would have the financial muscle to stage such a tournament so they have sought government backing to underwrite the event. Irish golf's governing body proved that in staging the European Championships they would have little difficulty in harnessing the logistical and practical demands of such an event.

It would represent a tremendous coup for amateur golf in this country if they could win the rights to the 2006 event.

England amateur champion Paul Casey flew back to college in Arizona with mixed emotions. Casey was part of the four-man Britain and Ireland side which finished second in the world team championship in Berlin on Sunday - and he also finished runner-up in the individual section.

As defending champions, there was obvious disappointment that the team title was not retained and also that Casey, who led for the first three days, finished four behind American Bryce Molder after a closing 74.

The United States took the Eisenhower Trophy by a massive 16 strokes with their 23-under-par total. Of that, Molder contributed 15 under.

On finishing runner-up individually, 23-year-old Casey said: "I suppose I would have taken that at the start of the week, but not with a round to play." He was four clear at halfway and two in front after three rounds, but Molder finished 6568 and so added to his growing reputation. Last year he had a career-best 60 while playing with President Clinton.

Casey described his putting in the last round as "shocking", but added: "The positive thing I take away from this is that apart from when I shot 66 on the first day I didn't play my greatest and I've still finished second in the world. That's not bad."

He intends staying amateur until the defence of the Walker Cup in Georgia next August and, with US Amateur semi-finalist Luke Donald almost certain to be in the team too, Britain and Ireland will have high hopes of defending the trophy they won at Nairn last year. Both were unbeaten then.

Donald tied for 10th individually in Berlin, but Scottish champion Steven O'Hara was only 41st and Welshman Jamie Donaldson was down in 81st spot.

Non-playing captain Peter McEvoy, who remains the only British player to have won outright team and individual honours at the event (he did it in 1988), said: "We're disappointed because we came with the intention of retaining the trophy.

"With the exception of Paul we under-performed. But, having said that, the American score was exceptional and only playing our best could we have contested.

"When we won in Chile two years ago (Donald was the sole survivor of that team) we holed everything and it was the same at the Walker Cup. Here we holed nothing."

This might well have been the final appearance in the event for Britain and Ireland. For the next staging in Malaysia in 2002 the four home nations may send their own teams.