Coffey, Dowdall join elite

As if to signal some sort of changing of the guard, the new elite 12-player squad announced by the Ladies' Golf Union includes two Irish internationals. However, the decision of Curtis Cup and Espirto Santo Trophy player Suzanne O'Brien, of Milltown, to retire from international team competition means a rather significant departure from an Irish viewpoint in that Alison Coffey is joined in the select group by one of the country's emerging players, Elaine Dowdall.

O'Brien's decision to retire came after the recent Home Internationals and follows a highly successful season in which she was the leading Britain and Ireland player in the Curtis Cup defeat to the US at Ganton. Later in the season, O'Brien, along with Coffey, won a bronze medal in the world team championship in Berlin.

The 12 players named in the 2000/2001 Britain and Ireland elite squad form the basis for team selections for the Weetabix Challenge (against a team of European women's professionals) in April and the Vagliano Trophy against the continent of Europe at Circolo Golf in Venice next July.

Coffey's inclusion in the squad is not surprising, especially after another fine season during which she finally won the Irish title and later finished third in the British women's strokeplay championship. Of course, the Warrenpoint player was also on that three-woman Espirto Santo Trophy team in Berlin as well as being first reserve in the Curtis Cup. To ensure continuity from Ganton, members of that squad who are again included in this newly selected elite group are Rebecca Hudson, Kim Andrew, Becky Brewerton and Emma Duggleby.

An encouraging facet of the squad is the number of young players who have been nominated and, as a consequence, are likely to benefit from intensive fitness and training weekends over the winter months.

Certainly, the elevation of Wexford's Elaine Dowdall - a golfing scholarship student at UCD - comes as a boost to the ILGU's coaching structure. Dowdall, a product of that underage set-up, is a player of immense potential and should progress even further with the aid of the LGU squad sessions while Claire Coughlan, last year's Irish champion, has been nominated as second reserve to the elite squad. Former Irish international Maureen Madill continues as coach to the squad and will conduct her first session in Birmingham on October 12th-15th. Further sessions will take place at the indoor Scottish National Golf Centre in Drumoig in November and February, as well as warm-weather training in Spain next March.

Meanwhile, two clubs who captured national pennants in last week's All-Ireland Cups and Shields finals in Lahinch will be on the trail of further national glory this weekend. The once-off GUI-Bulmers Millennium Medal Challenge takes place at Newlands Golf Club on Saturday where Moate, winners of the Irish Junior Cup, and Roe Park, who captured the Pierce Purcell Shield, will be among the clubs in action.

In all, 32 teams - who have come through county finals - will compete in the competition. Members of the winning team in the All-Ireland final on Saturday will receive a specially designed Millennium gold medal. "I am thrilled with the success of the event," said Paddy Murphy, president of the GUI on whose home course the finals take place. "It is a truly fitting way to celebrate the new millennium with Ireland's biggest ever amateur club team event."

All class categories are covered in the four-man teams competing in this unique competition which takes the best three stableford scores from each team.

The full list of qualifiers is: Killiney (Dublin), Athy (Kildare), Greystones (Wicklow), Co Meath (Meath), Moate (Westmeath), Carlow (Carlow), Kilkenny (Kilkenny), Enniscorthy (Wexford), Ardee (Louth), Mountrath (Laois), Co Longford (Longford), Portarlington (Offaly), Newcastlewest (Limerick), Shannon (Clare), Muskerry (Cork), Waterford Castle (Waterford), Thurles (Tipperary), Gort (Galway), Ballinamore (Leitrim), Claremorris (Mayo), Castlerea (Roscommon), Tubbercurry (Sligo), Malone (Antrim), Edenmore (Armagh), Listowel (Kerry), Cabra Castle (Cavan), Letterkenny (Donegal), Spa (Down), Killymoon (Tyrone), Enniskillen (Fermanagh), Roe Park (Derry), Clones (Monaghan).