McElhinney secures Merit award after close call

Amateur Scene: Reigning Irish Amateur Close champion Brian McElhinney (North West) has won the Willie Gill Order of Merit Award, presented to the golfer who accumulates the most points in the year's six major championships.

In a close finish, McElhinney tied with Stackstown's Mark Campbell on 115 points. But McElhinney, by winning the Irish Close at Donegal in June, topped the order of merit table.

This is the first time he has won this award, having finished with the same points as Noel Fox last year but, ironically, lost out to the Portmarnock international, who won the 2003 Irish Amateur Open Championship.

Campbell had the opportunity to win the award at the South of Ireland Championship. Following the defeat of McElhinney in the third round, Campbell needed to win his fifth round match to score points in the table, but lost out to eventual finalist Greg Bowden of Hermitage.

McElhinney, who will defend his European Individual Championship title in Skodve, Sweden, next month, is in the Walker Cup squad selected to visit Chicago next weekend for a training session at Chicago Golf Club, the venue for the 2005 match. The 14-strong party will be accompanied by Walker Cup captain Garth McGimpsey and Peter McEvoy, chairman of The R&A selection committee.

Irish Amateur Open champion Seán McTernan (Co Sligo) finished third in the table on 100 points, followed by Bowden with 80 points and Alistair McKinley (Shandon Park) on 70 points.

Previous winners of the Willie Gill Award include: Noel Fox (2003, 2000), Colm Moriarty (2002), Stephen Browne (2001), Ciarán McMonagle (1999), Eddie Power and Michael Hoey (tied 1998), Andrew McCormick (1997), Peter Lawrie (1996), Padraig Harrington (1995, 1994), Garth McGimpsey (1993, 1988, 1984), Ken Kearney (1992), Niall Goulding (1991) and Darren Clarke (1990, 1989).

McElhinney's involvement with the Walker Cup means Ulster will be without his services for the Golfsure Interprovincial Championship, which begins at Portmarnock Golf Club tomorrow morning.

Ulster, however, will still be strong favourites to lift their third title in a row, having won at Slieve Russell in 2002 and last year at Ballybunion. They have named eight of last year's winning side, with first caps for McKinley and 39-year-old Trevor Coulter from Massereene, the recent winner of the North of Ireland Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

"I never played with Ulster at any level before," said Coulter who beat Rory Leonard by a hole in the North final. "The only brush with representative golf that I have had was playing in the Antrim team during the All-Ireland Intercounty Championship, some years back."

Ulster are the season's form team, with McElhinney, Gareth Maybin (Ballyclare), Michael McGeady (North West) and McKinley dominating the Irish Close.

Darren Crowe was last week crowned World University champion in Thailand, while Maybin was on the winning European team in the Palmer Cup at Ballybunion last week, after a most successful season on the US collegiate circuit.

Maybin set the US record for most individual medal honours (eight), passing former University of South Alabama co-alumnus and current PGA member Health Slocum's record of seven. He captured four titles during the season, including the Southern Conference individual championship. He led the conference in strokes-per-round average (71.33) and advanced as an individual for the second straight season to the NCAA East Regional, held in Connecticut, where he finished tied 17th. Maybin also finished the season ranked 36th in the nation.

Leinster, who stopped Ulster's last bid for three in a row with victory in Killarney in 2001, have six changes from last year.

Noel Fox (Portmarnock) and Eoin O'Sullivan (The Island) are recalled. Gone are Justin Kehoe (professional), Michael McDermott, Mark Ryan, David Ryan, Alan Dowling and Robert McCarthy, with their places going to David Carroll (Grange), Aengus McAllister (Portmarnock), Paul O'Hanlon (The Curragh), David Kelleher (Portmarnock) plus Fox and O'Sullivan.

Munster, a mixture of youth and experience, will be led by veteran Karl Bornemann with Youths players Clancy Bowe, Niall Turner and Mark Shanahan also in the side.

Michael Mulryan set a course record 66 when helping Athenry win the Connacht Youths title last week and should be an asset to the western province when they play Ulster in the opening match, while Leinster start against Munster.

ULSTER: T Coulter (Massereene); D Crowe (Dunmurry); J Foster (Ballyclare); R Kilpatrick (Banbridge); R Leonard (Banbridge); G Maybin (Ballyclare); A McCormick (Scrabo); M McGeady (North West); A McKinley (Shandon Park); M Sinclair (Knock). Non playing captain: J Moss (Whitehead).

MUNSTER: K Bornemann (Douglas), C Bowe (Tramore), K McGarry (Bandon), S Moloney (Castletroy), J Morris (Mullingar), P Murray (Limerick), M Owens (Mallow), P O'Keeffe (Douglas), M Shanahan (West Waterford), N Turner (Muskerry). Team Captain: P O'Connor.

LEINSTER: G Bowden (Hermitage), M Campbell (Stackstown), D Carroll (Grange), N Fox (Portmarnock), D Morgan (Mullingar), A McAllister (Portmarnock), J McGinn (Laytown and Bettystown), P O'Hanlon (Curragh), E O'Sullivan (The Island), D Kelleher (Portmarnock). Non-playing captain: J Greene (Grange).

CONNACHT: J Barton (Ballinasloe), K Fahey (Connemara), N Kavanagh (Westport), G McDermott (Co Sligo), M McTernan (Co Sligo), M Mulryan (Athenry), C O'Malley (Westport), K O'Neill (Strandhill), M O'Sullivan (UCD/Galway), M Rowe (Athlone). Team captain: K Flanagan (Co Sligo). Team manager: P McDonagh (Oughterard).