Officials lay down law at Baltray

THE bane of slow play is to be tackled by the organising committee of the AIB East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship which takes place at Co Louth Golf Club, Baltray, over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Officials have warned all players' that the snail like five hour rounds - which proliferated throughout all last season's championships - simply won't he tolerated, especially given that contestants play in three balls.

"The championship committee felt that the pace of play is far too slow and we have issued directives to the players that they should have completed nine holes in two hours 15 minutes, at the longest," said Leinster Branch honorary secretary Albert Lee. It is felt that rounds should be completed within a generous time scale of four and a half hours.

`East' officials have the power to warn and even penalise those deemed guilty of slow play, but it remains to be seen if such a policy will speed up play. More often than not, slow play is the result of a knock on effect and it is extremely difficult to isolate a guilty party, particularly in a field of 156.

This year's championship has attracted a particularly strong field, despite a clash with the British Amateur Championship which starts at Royal St George's and Royal Cinque Ports next Monday. Four Irish players - Walker Cup player Jody Fanagan, who won the season opening West of Ireland at Enniscrone, Irish Close champion Paul Lawrie, Bryan Omelia and Ballymena's Chris Devlin - are seeking to become the first Irish winner of the British since Garth McGimpsey captured the title in 1985.

The Irish selectors will be out at Baltray in earnest - and also keeping in touch with the Irish players' performances in Sandwich.

With the European Team Championships scheduled for Portmarnock on June 25th-29th the six man team is due to be finalised shortly. As such, the performances in the `East' could be crucial. However, the actual line up won't he decided until after the Irish Amateur Open at Fota Island in two weeks' time.

Portmarnock's Noel Fox defends his East of Ireland, the only championship held over 72 holes stroke play. Other current Irish internationals in the field include Garth McGimpsey (winner in 1988 and 1994), Ken Kearney, Adrian Morrow, Eddie Power, Andrew McCormick, Pat Murray and Michael McGinley. Niall Goulding will be playing his first championship since being reinstated as an amateur after a brief flirtation with the professional ranks.

. Elaine Dowdall, the highly promising Wexford player who has been named as a reserve for the Irish team for the European Women's Team Championship in Finland in July, is to join Milltown Golf Club.

The 19 year old plans to study Arts in UCD - starting this autumn - and approached Suzanne Fanagan, who won the Irish women's championship at Enniscrone last Saturday, about the prospects of being accepted into Milltown, recent winners of the Eastern District Senior Cup.