Promise of East holds off lure of Muirfield

Since bilocation was not an option, Andrew McCormick and David Dunne have resisted the lure of Muirfield and instead will pursue their quest for glory at the East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Baltray over the holiday weekend.

The Irish internationals' decisions to play at Co Louth is a boost to a championship which has been deprived of the presence of a number of the country's top players due to a clash of dates with the British Amateur Open Championship at the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.

Jody Fanagan, Ken Kearney, Bryan Omelia, Noel Fox and Dermot Connolly have all opted to bypass Baltray in favour of Muirfield, where strokeplay qualifying begins on Monday. Although originally entered for the British event, McCormick and Dunne have chosen to play in Baltray, where fellow-internationals Garth McGimpsey (winner in 1988 and 1994) and Adrian Morrow (champion in 1975 and 1983) will be seeking personal hat-tricks of wins in the event, traditionally the second provincial championship of the season.

"I'd love to have been able to play Muirfield," confessed McCormick, the big-hitting Scrabo player. "I entered both championships to give myself the option, but I decided to play Baltray. It's a nice course, always in good condition, and I feel that my form is coming back. I've spent the past few weeks practising and I'm starting to play better golf. Prior to the Irish Open strokpelay, I'd played a lot of competitive golf, in the Lytham and against the Americans in the Carey Cup, and I didn't feel as sharp as I'd have liked."

Given the number of Irish invaders for the British championship, where Scotland's Craig Watson will be defending his crown a week after taking the St Andrews Links Trophy, the East has still managed to attract a quality field which includes current national team members Morrow, McGimpsey, Dunne, McCormick, Paddy Gribben and recently-crowned Irish Amateur Open champion Michael Hoey of Shandon Park.

Interestingly, only two of the winners - McGimpsey (1994) and Declan Brannigan ('95) from the past decade will be competing and a look back at the previous winners in that time confirm that this strokeplay event has a habit of sniffing out future professionals. Darren Clarke ('89), Denis O'Sullivan ('90, now a professional on the Seniors Tour), Raymond Burns ('92 and '93) and Sean Quinlivan ('97) have all pursued careers in the paid ranks. Fox, the winner in 1996 and winner of the West of Ireland last month, is among the raiding party at Muirfield.

Two players who missed the Lancome Irish Women's Close championship due to exams will return to competitive fare next weekend as part of a six-strong Irish contingent at the St Rules Trophy in St Andrews.

UCD student Elaine Dowdall and Michelle McGreevy, who attends Stirling University, will be joined by Yvonne Cassidy, Hazel Kavanagh, Barbara Hackett and Jenny Gannon at the home of golf.

Famine victims in southern Sudan will benefit from a fourperson scramble at Woodbrook Golf Club on Wednesday, June 10th, organised by the charity GOAL. Sports personalities have committed themselves to the cause and slots on the time sheet can be secured by ringing 012821208. The cost is £250 per team and includes dinner.