Government doubles amateur grants

Paddy Gribben is the principal beneficiary of increased funding from the Government to the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) in respect of grant allocation for amateur golfers involved in international competition for the past year.

On the recommendation of the Irish Sports Council, the Minister for Sport, Dr McDaid, has approved additional grant-aid of £50,000 to the GUI, a 100 per cent increase on funding received last year. The payments are retrospective for 1998.

Gribben, the first Irish winner of the European Amateur Open strokeplay championship and a member of the British and Irish winning team in the Eisenhower Trophy world championship, has been awarded £5,000, while Bryan Omelia, who recently turned professional, receives £4,500.

In all, 37 players - all members of the national panels in boys, youths and seniors - share in the funding which replaces the old Golf Trust scheme. However, it is anticipated that the required criteria to enable amateur golfers to become part of the International Carding system which operates in other sporting bodies seeking funding from the Sports Council will be finalised by the end of the year, with full implementation of the system in 1999 (for the award of cards in 2000).

"Unlike other sports, there is no world ranking system in operation for amateur golfers," explained the GUI general secretary, Seamus Smith, "so we are currently working on acceptable criteria for our golfers based on competition at home, in Britain and internationally."

Given the international success - and the considerable financial outlay on coaching - by players representing the GUI in competition, the increase in funding is a welcome trend for amateur golf. Indeed, Ireland's amateur golfers enjoyed an abundance of international success in 1998, including a first win in the European Boys team championship at Gullane in Scotland, individual successes by Warrenpoint's Gribben (European Open), Limerick's Tim Rice (Scottish Youths Open), Stackstown's Mark Campbell (Belgian Youths Open), and the victory of Campbell and Rathmore's Graeme McDowell in the European Youths Nations Cup. Additionally, David Jones, Justin Kehoe and Robin Symes were on the Britain and Ireland team that defeated the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy match in Italy.

Indeed, Ireland's success in the European Boys' championship has brought further recognition for non-playing-captain Jimmy Greene, who was yesterday appointed captain of the European team for the biennial encounter with the United States boys team. Known as the "Junior Ryder Cup", it will be staged in Boston on the same week as its big brother next September.

And the GUI has also accepted an invitation to compete in the World Junior Team Championships in Kobe, Japan, on June 17th-20th next year. The invitation, following Ireland's success in the European championship, gathers the top 15 junior countries from six continents to play in a 72-hole medal format, with each team consisting of four players.