Never mind the Irish pros and their majors, there is plenty of homegrown talent poised to follow them on the road to stardom if the form of Ireland’s leading amateurs is anything to go by.

Gary McDermott defied rain squalls and winds gusting up to 30 mph to shoot a sensational 69 for a one shot lead after the opening round of the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin.

GREAT BRITAIN & Ireland Curtis Cup captain, Monkstown’s Ada O’Sullivan, is planning to use the spectre of playing against teenage sensation Michelle Wie to motivate her eight-member squad.