Record overseas entry

Those who would argue that strokeplay provides the ultimate test, will expect vindication of that view when the Ulster Bank-sponsored Irish Amateur Open Championship gets under way at Royal Dublin today. The event has attracted a record overseas entry of 38 players from 14 countries in a field of 120.

Gary Cullen of Beaverstown will be defending the title he captured at the same venue last year, when an aggregate of 288 gave him a one stroke victory over Jody Fanagan. "When I started out, my strength was as a matchplayer, but everything seems to have switched around to medal play over the last few years," he said yesterday.

Cullen goes into action at 9.14 a.m. in a three-ball with England's Adam Frayne and Ballyclare's Gareth Maybin. Four groups later, however, main interest will be focused on the three-ball of Eamonn Brady, Ciaran McMonagle and Michael Jones.

Brady has maintained splendid form since he captured the West of Ireland Championship for a second time at Rosses Point last month. And McMonagle achieved an outstanding overseas victory when becoming the first Irish winner of the South African Open Strokeplay title at East London GC in early March.

Interestingly, the other leading Irish players on that occasion - Noel Fox, Cullen and Andrew McCormick - are also in action this weekend. They will be attempting to capture a title which has had Padraig Harrington (1995), Keith Nolan (1996 and 1997), Michael Hoey (1998) and Cullen as champions since the event was revived at Fota Island five years ago.

The championship since then has been extended from two to three days, so permitting a larger field.

The overseas entry includes 11 Germans, six South Africans, four Finns, two Austrians, two Belgians, two Portuguese, two Americans and one each from Iceland, Spain, France and Sweden. There will be one round of strokeplay today and tomorrow after which the leading 40 and ties will go through to the final 36 holes on Sunday.