Today, the Royal and Ancient will announce the British and Irish team for the Eisenhower Trophy, the world amateur team championship, which takes place in Santiago, Chile, in November. The expectation is that Paddy Gribben, as European champion, will be included in the team - but it could well be the last time that a joint team from the four `home' unions will be selected.
A number of years ago, the Golfing Union of Ireland intimated that they were ready to break away and go it alone in terms of the Eisenhower but, under pressure from the R&A and the other unions, the move never materialised. However, next month a forum in St Andrews is expected to discuss a motion from the Scottish union which suggests that the time has come for Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales to play as four separate teams in the most prestigious amateur competition, which is held every two years.
Ironically enough, given their resistance at one time to the GUI's intention to go it alone, it is believed that Scotland and England are the prime movers behind this latest attempt to break the traditional four-country approach to the competition, which was first held at the home of golf in St Andrews in 1958.
How determined the Scottish and English are in changing the status quo remains to be seen, but both unions seem serious about a new approach which would see each home union represented in all future Eisenhower Trophy matches after Chile.
Britain and Ireland have won the competition on just three occasions - in 1964, 1976 and 1988 - which would suggest that the policy of selecting a collective four-man team hasn't been as productive as might be expected. Using the European team championship as a comparison (an event England have won eight times, Ireland four, Scotland four and Wales once, with only Sweden (2) and Spain (1) breaking the home unions' dominance), the argument is a strong one that any of the four unions would be capable in any given year of lifting the Eisenhower.
Certainly, the numbers playing the game in England almost demands that they have a team of their own - and similar cases could be made for Scotland and Ireland. So, when the four-man team is announced today, and if Warrenpoint's Gribben is selected, as he should be, then he may well have the distinction of being the last Irishman to play in the event under the Britain and Ireland umbrella.
Meanwhile, Gribben - who was an inspirational figure in leading Warrenpoint to the Barton Shield in the Bulmers National Cups and Shields finals last weekend - is currently in Italy where an Irish team are playing Italy as preparation for next year's European Championships.
The Ireland-Italy match is taking place today and tomorrow at Monticello Golf Club, near Lake Como, which plays hosts to next year's Europeans and Irish captain Mick Craddock felt it was an ideal opportunity to pay a visit to the venue.
The other members of the Irish team, apart from Gribben are: Gary Cullen (Beaverstown), John Foster (Ballyclare), Noel Fox (Portmarnock), David Jones (City of Derry), Andrew McCormick (Scrabo), Garth McGimpsey (Bangor) and Ciaran McMonagle (Dunfanaghy). McMonagle is the only player who wasn't on the Irish team which finished runnersup to England in the recent Home Internationals.
Another Irish team on foreign duty this week is the Senior (over50s) team who are playing against Sweden on Thursday and Friday in their annual representative match. The Irish team is: JD Coey (Clandeboye), Eddie Condren (Greystones), Sean Coyne (Killarney), Rupert de Lacy Staunton (Castlerea), Gary Geary (Limerick), Jackie Harrington (Limerick), Bernard Rogers (The Island) and Robert Wallace (Spa).
In the past, such famous names as Joe Carr, Peter McEvoy and, more recently, Padraig Harrington have lifted the Midland Scratch Cup - and this year's event, sponsored by Tretorn Topflite, takes place at Carlow Golf Club this weekend.
Indeed, it is a tribute to the prestige of this particular 72-hole scratch cup that a number of players who are on international duty in Italy this week will be making the trip on their return. Paddy Gribben, Andrew McCormick, Noel Fox, Johnny Foster, Gary Cullen and David Jones have all committed themselves to playing in the event.
Many try, but few succeed - however, five-handicapper John Kilroy pulled off the double of winning both the Captain's and the President's prize at his club St Margaret's in the same season. Kilroy shot over 40 points on each occasion to pull off a feat that club captain Tom Craddock remarked was a "fantastic performance" for a low handicapper.
Forty pairs who have survived local and regional qualifying will compete in the National Pitch and Putt Mixed Foursomes finals at Castlelyons on Sunday, among them a number of husband and wife partnerships pursuing one of the most coveted titles on the calendar.
In fact, Charlie and Sandie O'Neill were runners-up in the event as far back as 1981 and Sandie demonstrated her current form by finishing third in the Intermediate Strokeplay championship this year and will be among the favourites.
