GOLF AMATEUR NEWS: In a month which saw the men and women win the Home International titles, share the men's senior internationals and finish second in the women's seniors, Irish amateur golf received another boost when Gareth Maybin was named the Sun Belt Conference Male Player of the Month last week.
Maybin, a student at South Alabama University, who has won two tournament medal honours so far this season - the Carolina First Reliance Intercollegiate and the 2003 Cardinal Intercollegiate - leads the Sun Belt in stroke average with a score of 70.11 shots per round.
With the two straight tournament victories, the Ballyclare player and Irish international has two school records in his sights. Maybin is just one victory behind former Jaguar (South Alabama student) Ryan Gildersleeve's record for consecutive victories (three) and one behind Heath Slocum's school mark of seven tournament wins. The honour marks the third time in his career the Jaguars All-American has received the conference award.
For the autumn season, Maybin has finished in the top 10 at each of his three tournaments and is currently ranked 32nd by the Golfweek/Sagarin performance index.
The Jaguars will next compete in Knoxville, Tennessee, on October 20th-21st, at the 16th annual Tournament of Champions.
Meanwhile, in the women's Home Internationals, Ireland fell at the last hurdle against England at Whittington Heath in their bid to add the senior to their impressive collection of 2003 silverware.
They crashed to a 6-1 defeat, which meant they had to be content with the runners-up spot.
Wales overcame Scotland 4-3 to condemn the Scots to the wooden spoon.
But Ireland can look back with considerable satisfaction on the international season - they won outright the men's crown at Ballybunion and the women's title at Cruden Bay, shared the senior men's title with Wales at Seaton Carew and finished second in this championship.
This week youth gets its chance when Ireland take a young side to compete against the Metropolitan Golf Association of New York (MGA) in the biennial match for the Governor Carey Trophy at Quaker Ridge, New York, today and tomorrow.
The team is Clancy Bowe (Tramore), Mark Campbell (Stackstown), Darren Crowe (Dunmurry), John Foster (Ballyclare), Brian McElhinney (North West), Michael McGeady (City of Derry), Mark O'Sullivan (Galway) and Niall Turner (Muskerry).
Meanwhile, David Harrison, newly appointed chairman of the general committee of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A), has been named to succeed Neil Crichton as the joint chairman of the International Golf Federation (IGF).
Harrison becomes a joint chairman of the federation with Reed Mackenzie, president of the United States Golf Association (USGA). As joint chairmen, the two will work closely with the women's chair of the IGF, Vicky Whyte of Brazil, and the joint secretaries of the IGF, Peter Dawson, secretary of the R&A, and David Fay, executive director of the USGA.
"I have always been committed to international amateur golf," said Harrison. "I relish the opportunity to work with all the IGF officers in continuing its fine work for golf around the globe."
Harrison, a retired businessman, has extensive experience in administration, having served on the R&A's rules, championship and general committees since he was appointed in 1981. He has also chaired the R&A's training panel.
The chairman of the England Junior Golf Partnership since 2001, Harrison is also president of the Association of Golf Club Secretaries.
He served as president of the English Golf Union in 1992 and was on its junior golf committee from 1977-1991. In addition, he has been associated with the European Golf Association as the chairman of its championship committee from 1994-2001, as well as serving on its executive committee from 1994-2001. As a player, he represented England teams at boys and youths levels.
The IGF was founded in 1958 as the World Amateur Golf Council to encourage the international development of the game and to employ golf as a vehicle to foster friendship and sportsmanship.
Recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the official international federation for golf, the IGF comprises the national governing bodies of golf in more than 100 countries.
As one of its main functions, the IGF conducts the World Amateur Team Championships for women and men on a biennial basis. Championships are scheduled for 2004 in Puerto Rico and 2006 in South Africa. Since the announcement of Puerto Rico as the country for the 2004 championships, the venue of play has changed from the Hyatt Dorado Beach Resort and Country Club to the Rio Mar Country Club in Rio Grande.
The club, which has two courses, staged the inaugural Copas de las Americas, an international team event, in the summer of 2003. Greg Norman designed the River Course, which opened in 1997, and George and Tom Fazio designed the Ocean Course, which opened in 1976. The Ocean Course is built on the coast of the Atlantic. This design features tree-lined fairways and small greens.
The River Course, whose opening was delayed by Hurricane Hortense in 1996, is located near the Mameyes River and the El Yunque National Rainforest. The design includes tropical wetlands and protected archaeological areas.
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