Once upon a time David Feherty observed that only players "with a vivid imagination" were capable of shooting low scores. In which case, you might think, somewhere in the brain matter of Derek McNamara lurks the imagination of a Picasso.

McNamara, an 18-year-old plus-one handicapper from Connemara, isn't afraid to aim at the flags. "When you get into that zone, you're just not thinking about anything else," he remarks, which is all uncannily like the response that a top professional would give after a low round.

Any route into the professional game is some years down the road for the Leaving Certificate student at Clifden Community School, but there is no doubting that McNamara - the current Irish Boys' champion - has the ability, dedication and mindset to succeed in golf.

One perfect day and one glorious round in the summer of 2000 simply confirmed what many people suspected about McNamara's potential to rip a course apart.

It came in the Irish boys championship at Strandhill in August when he went around in a remarkable 61. "All season I had been expecting to do something like that. I had previously gone around in eight-under-par for a 17-hole competition at my own course in Connemara, so I knew I had it in me," recalls McNamara, adding: "But it was a bit special to do it in a championship.

"It's hard to explain what it is like when you're in that zone. There's just something that happens . . . you get into a good run and all you think about is getting the ball close to the flag, getting birdies."

Having represented Ireland at boys international level, and also earning selection onto the British and Irish team for the annual Leglise Trophy match with the Continent, McNamara has been groomed for a bright future. And, although he will have to combine academic and sporting interests for the first part of 2001, he plans to hit the golf courses with a vengeance during the summer.

"My aim for the year is to make the Irish senior team for the Home Internationals . . . but, now that I've moved out of boys golf, I plan to compete in most of the main championships in Ireland and a number in Britain too and just do as well as I can against the big boys. I want to try my best all the time and achieve as much as I can," he says.

Part of his reward for winning the national boys' title was a trip to the Faldo Series in Liverpool where McNamara came under the watchful eye of Nick Faldo who passed on some advice and saw McNamara, after double-bogeying the first, cover the next 17 holes at Royal Hoylake in six-under-par.

McNamara's introduction to golf came when he was "about 11" when he'd accompany his father to the course and "basically mess about." However, the bug caught in a big way once he started taking junior lessons from Connemara club professional Hughie O'Neill. In fact, O'Neill has been responsible for nurturing McNamara's rich promise and remains his coach to this day.

"I know this is going to be a tough year, especially with the Leaving Cert to also occupy my mind, but I'm looking forward to competing in all the main championships. I remember Padraig Harrington telling us at a coaching seminar that you don't know how you'll fare in senior competitions until you get out there and play in them.

"I'm going to find out what it's like but I also know that I still have a lot of improvement and, so, I'll continue working on my game as well."