European amateur champion Paddy Gribben has put club and country before his own interests by turning down an invitation to rub shoulders with the game's superstars in the Lancome Trophy at Saint-Nom-La-Breteche, near Versailles, this week.
Instead, Gribben will spearhead Warrenpoint's quest for glory in the Bulmers' Irish Cups and Shields finals at Athlone and then head off with the Irish team to play a representative match against Italy at Monticello Golf Club, near Lake Como, next week.
Gribben, who earned the invitation to compete in the Lancome courtesy of his outstanding success in the European individual championship in Bordeaux last month, is a former professional who would love the opportunity to take on the might of Colin Montgomerie, David Duval and company. "It was tempting, but there was no way I could let the players on the Warrenpoint team down. This is the showpiece of the club calendar," he said, "while I was also anxious to make the trip to Italy."
Warrenpoint are in action on Thursday in the Barton Shield, where they take on Munster champions Limerick, while Leinster champions Grange take on Co Sligo in the other semi-final. The Barton Shield, a unique foursomes competition, will be the first national final to be decided with finals of the Pierce Purcell Shield and Irish Junior Cup scheduled for Friday and the Jimmy Bruen Shield and Irish Senior Cup finals taking place on Saturday as Athlone play host to the prestigious Cups and Shields finals, the culmination of intense competition around the country through the summer months.
Gribben, who was affected by a toothache on the final day of the Home Internationals in Royal Porthcawl last week, won't have much time for rest, whatever happens in Warrenpoint's quest for national honours. On Sunday, he flies out to Italy with a strong Irish team for the match against Italy.
Gary Cullen (Beaverstown), John Foster (Ballyclare), Noel Fox (Portmarnock), David Jones (City of Derry), Andrew McCormick (Scrabo), Garth McGimpsey (Bangor), Ciaran McMonagle (Dunfanaghy) and Gribben comprise the travelling party for a match which captain Mick Craddock rates as important. McMonagle is the only player who didn't figure on the team in Royal Porthcawl last week when Ireland finished unlucky runners-up to England.
"We're playing on the course which next year plays host to the European team championships, so it is a great opportunity to appraise it," said Craddock, who has one year of his captaincy to run. Indeed, it is hoped to revisit the course in northern Italy before it closes to competitors in the month prior to the championship which takes place in the first week of July.
Meanwhile, the R&A selectors are next week expected to announce the four-man British and Irish team for the Eisenhower Trophy (the world team championships) in Chile in November while a revised squad for next year's Walker Cup match in Nairn, Scotland, is also planned to be announced.
The selectors were present in Porthcawl but a number of players on view there - including Scots Graham Rankin, Craig Watson and Lorne Kelly, Englishmen Simon McCarthy and Mark Hilton and Welsh player Mark Pilkington - are this week playing in pre-qualifying I in their quest to make it as professionals and most will now be unavailable for selection. Hugh Millar came up with a clever way to book a trip to Portugal for himself and his Grange team-mates in winning the Leinster final of the Musgrave Crumlin Children's Hospital Inter-Club Challenge at Mullingar last week.
Millar scored an eagle two when he holed out with a wedge approach shot at the 11th hole which made all the difference in Grange's title challenge. The Dubliners (Millar, Percy Vince and Plunkett Walsh) had 55 points on the back nine which enabled them to win on countback from the Royal Tara team of Aidan O'Rourke, Kevin Geraghty and Leo Finlay after both sides had finished with 81 points in the rumble competition. The Mullingar team of Pat Mulligan, Bernard McDonnell and Barry Smyth finished third with 80 points.
Grange will join Munster winners Dunmore in the Algarve on October 3rd-10th for the national finals which will involve competition at Vila Sol, Pinta, Vilamoura (old) and Quinta do Lago. The Connacht and Ulster finals which were due to take place in Roscommon last week have been re-scheduled for the same venue next Monday. The original competitions were postponed due to a waterlogged course.
The final of the Shell Ladies Golf Challenge, which is now in its second year, will take place at Mount Juliet Golf Club today. Over 10,000 women have competed in this year's event and the field has been reduced to 51 finalists (from all over the 32 counties) who will play the Jack Nicklaus-designed course today, with the first three-ball off at 10.10 a.m.
Former internationals Tom Corridan and Arthur Pierce, along with former South of Ireland champion Peter Sheehan will be among the competitors in an AmAm tournament to be held at Newcastle West Golf Club next Sunday to mark the opening of the club's new driving range.
