The AIB-sponsored Irish Amateur Open Championship, which will be played at The Royal Dublin Golf Club on May 9-11, has attracted a record 91 overseas players from 17 countries.

Portstewart's Paul Cutler will face Johann López Lázaro of France in the quarter-finals of the Spanish Amateur Championship in Girona tomorrow.

Rory McIlroy (Holywood), Gareth Shaw (Lurgan) and Simon Ward (Co Louth) will represent Ireland in the World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy which will be played at the De Zalze Golf Club and Stellenbosch Golf Club, near Cape Town, South Africa on October 26 to 29.

GRANTS totalling €65,000 were awarded by the Irish Sports Council to leading Irish golfers.

BRIAN MCELHINNEY (North West) will face stiff opposition when he defends his Irish Close Championship title, sponsored by Golfsure, at Westport Golf Club from June 11-15.

Brian McElhinney from North West will face stiff opposition when he defends his Irish Close Championship title next month at Westport Golf Club.

Scores from the Irish Amateur Open Championship at Carton House Golf Club (O'Meara Course).

THE Golfing Union of Ireland will introduce a clause limiting the “spring-like” effect of driving clubs to its Condition of Competition for all its leading National and Provincial Championships, effective from January 1, 2005.

Reigning Irish champion Brian McElhinney (North West) will lead the three-man team to

Reigning Irish Amateur Close champion, Brian McElhinney (North West) has won the Willie Gill Order of Merit Award for 2004.