Fox gets chance to make amends

One of the great comforts of tournament golf, whether professional or amateur, is that there's always another event around the corner. And the AIB East of Ireland Championship becomes a welcome haven this weekend, for those who suffered at Royal Co Down earlier in the week.

But it didn't hold the same attraction for Paddy Gribben after he had lost in the quarter-finals of the British Amateur yesterday morning. His disappointment was too acute to contemplate a quick return to competition, so he contacted the Leinster Branch later in the day and formally withdrew.

Among the casualties in attempting to get through strokeplay qualifying for the Amateur were Garth McGimpsey, whose 151 was two shots too many. Now, as defending champion at Baltray, he is attempting to capture the country's second leading 72-hole strokeplay event for a fourth time.

He goes into action in the first round this morning in the company of South Africa's Henk Alberts and Frenchman Olivier David. Another recent winner in the draw is Noel Fox, whose 80 at Kilkeel last Monday crushed his British Amateur ambitions.

A field of 153 makes up 51 three-balls who will play at nine-minute intervals from 8.00 a.m until 3.30 p.m The handicap limit of 1.7 (exact) is a lot less demanding than the limit of 0.2 at Royal Co Down where such accomplished scratchmen as Niall Goulding failed to get into the field. The cut for the final 36 holes on Monday is also likely to be considerably more generous than the 149 for the Amateur.

Looking over the East winners for the last 10 years, it is interesting to note that five of them - Darren Clarke, Denis O'Sullivan, Raymond Burns, Declan Branigan and Sean Quinlivan - later turned professional. In Branigan's case, however, it was but a brief flirtation with the senior ranks last autumn and he has since regained his amateur status.

Meanwhile, it is a particularly important test for Fox, who remains a realistic candidate for Walker Cup honours. But he is clearly in need of a boost to confidence before the European Amateur Team Championship in Monticello at the end of this month, after which the team to play the Americans will be announced.