Tiarnan McLarnon won the Lee Valley Scratch Cup in style yesterday.

A delighted James Sugrue was one of five leading Irish amateur golfers celebrating call-ups to an extended Great Britain & Ireland squad ahead of the 47th Walker Cup match against the United States at Royal Liverpool this September.

Mention has been made in these parts of Martin Kaymer’s irritation at his PGA Championship victory at Whistling Straits back in 2010 being framed as the major Dustin Johnson threw away, yet imagine how annoyed you’d be if you were Johnson?

Sometimes it takes a step back in order to move forward and that has certainly been the case for Michael McDermott.

The Lee Valley Scratch Cup tees off this weekend.