Amateur Scene News round-up/Golf: Colm Moriarty hopes to strengthen his chances of Walker Cup selection if he can continue his recent good form in the AIB-sponsored Irish Amateur Open Strokeplay Championship, which begins at Royal Dublin Golf Club on Friday.
Eleven members of the Walker Cup squad, from which the Britain and Ireland team to face the Americans at Ganton in September is picked, are included in a top-class international field for Royal Dublin making victory for any of four Irish members of the squad - Moriarty, Justin Kehoe (Birr), Noel Fox (Portmarnock) or Gareth Maybin (Ballyclare) - a major step towards Walker Cup selection.
Members of this group have already tasted success this year. Jack Doherty won the Australian Amateur Open Championship, Moriarty won two events in Australia, the New South Wales medal and matchplay championships, while Stuart Manley took the Duncan Putter in Wales.
Moriarty was second to Manley in Wales last week and over the weekend the Athlone plus-four handicapper could not have failed to have been impressed watching captain Garth McGimpsey with his late charge in the Lytham Trophy at Royal Lytham and St Anne's that saw him eventually finish third.
Disappointed with his first two rounds of 76 and 74, which left him well off the pace after 36 holes, Moriarty made a real charge over the final rounds with scores of 70 and 71 to post a clubhouse lead of seven-over-par 291.
Moriarty forced his way into contention with a third round which included four birdies in six holes from the 11th.
He picked up three more shots in his final round, holing from eight feet on the last but rued the double bogey he took at 15th which he blamed on a lapse of concentration after pulling his approach into the rough then bunkering his next attempt.
"I played as well as I did on the first two days but I did not hole anything. The greens were slow but I got the measure of them on the final day," said Moriarty.
He finished eight shots adrift of winner Stuart Wilson, of Scotland, who cemented his place in the Britain and Ireland squad with a closing round of 68. He beat Lincolnshire's Paul Bradshaw, who led for three rounds, by four shots to record only his second 72-hole victory following his success in the Scottish Champion of Champions tournament at Leven Links last month.
Moriarty, who will miss out on the East of Ireland Championship at Co Louth over the June weekend because of the clash with the British Amateur, is keen to do well at Royal Dublin.
"I'm really looking forward to Royal Dublin, my game is in good shape and I hear that the course is in excellent condition," said Moriarty. "This weekend was the start of six weeks of major competitions and good performances in the Brabazon Trophy, the St Andrews Trophy and the British Amateur would be a big help in the selection process."
Meanwhile, the best amateurs in the world will be keen to gain a place in next year's British Amateur Championship. Plans for the 250th anniversary celebrations of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in 2004 include local and international competitions and a dinner for 1,200 members and guests.
Oil paintings have been commissioned to mark the driving in of new captain, The Duke of York, and of the top table at the club's annual dinner with its traditional display of club trophies.
The Royal Bank of Scotland are to issue a £5 note with an image of the R&A clubhouse and the third volume of the club history will be published to commemorate the anniversary of the founding date of May 14th, 1744.
The British Amateur Championship will be played over the Old Course from May 31st to June 5th for the first time since 1981 and will be preceded by a competition for local men and women. There will also be a junior event and an inter-club competition for invited clubs from around the world.
Under the chairmanship of Charles Philip a special committee has been planning the celebrations for three years. The aim has been to achieve a standard of hospitality in keeping with the milestone anniversary for peer clubs around the world, while also embracing all aspects of the R&A's governance role and respecting the relationship with the city of St Andrews and its golfing history.
Meanwhile, Eoin O'Sullivan held off the young brigade to win the Laytown and Bettystown Scratch Cup on Sunday. O'Sullivan, from The Island, shot 112 for the 28 holes - reduced due to heavy rain - to win by one shot from Old Conna's Donal Gleeson with Greg Bowden (Hermitage) on 114 followed by another Island player Robert McCarthy on 115.
Eileen Rose Power mastered the elements to win her third Mercedes-sponsored Hermitage Women's Scratch Cup on Sunday. The Kilkenny international had rounds of 74 and 75 to win by three shots from Deirdre Smith (Co Louth) with Maura Morris from the Curragh a shot further back on 153.
Power shared the lead with 15-year-old Emma Gilmore from Mountbellew after the first round but was overtaken by playing partner Smith during the afternoon round. However, the turning point came at the par-five 11th. Power holed from 20 feet for a birdie four while Smith took two to get out of a bunker for a double bogey seven, a swing of three shots which eventually decided the outcome.
