Four Irish hopefuls will begin their final journey towards a European Tour card in the last Qualifying School stage at Lumine, Spain, today.

Dermot McElroy made a superb start to the second stage of European Tour Qualifying School with a two-under 70 at El Saler, Spain.

Three Irish stars made it through to the second stage of the European Tour qualifying school after top-20 finishes at Frilford Heath, Oxfordshire.

A dramatic 45 foot birdie putt on the 18th green at Fota Island last evening by Ulster’s Ben Best foiled Connacht of a famous victory on the second day of the Interprovincial Championship. The match ended 5½ points apiece, leaving Leinster, who defeated Munster 8-3, the favourites to retain the title when they take on Ulster in today’s decider.

The Island’s Kevin LeBlanc is determined to prove the doubters wrong and become the youngest West of Ireland champion since Rory McIlroy.

Co Sligo’s Sean Flanagan coped with southerly winds gusting up to 48mph to take a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Radisson Blu sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open at Rosses Point.

Ireland produced a magnificent display at Royal Portrush yesterday to trounce European champions Scotland and retain their Amateur Home International title. It was their first back to back triumph in the contest since 1992.

Irish team captain Tony Goode has backed late call-ups Robin Dawson and Rowan Lester to make the most of the opportunities handed to them by the withdrawals of Paul Dunne and Gary Hurley from next week’s Home International defence at Royal Portrush.

Open Championship hero Paul Dunne will attract much of the attention at Royal Portrush in two weeks as Ireland bid to defend their Home Internationals title on home soil.

With handicaps ranging from plus 4 to 1.1, the high quality of the entry for the West Coast Hotels sponsored South of Ireland Championship beginning at Lahinch this morning is a source of considerable satisfaction for the organising committee.

Lahinch Golf Club and the Munster Branch do fantastic work for Irish golf but while they are grateful to the GUI for rescheduling the Interpros and Irish Close to make it easier for our top players to head to Clare for next month’s South of Ireland Amateur Open, the measures don’t appear to have worked.

Cormac Sharvin continued his impressive season when he lifted the English men’s open stroke-play title for the Brabazon Trophy over the Hollinwell course at Nottingham at the weekend.

A week spent playing golf with two former Northern Ireland soccer players along with the acquisition of a very expensive putter has put Michael Hoey in contention at the BMW International Open in Munich.

Enniscrone’s Sarah Helly gave herself an unforgettable 23rd birthday present when she shocked hot favourite Olivia Mehaffey by six and five to claim the Irish Women’s Amateur Close Championship over the Old Tom Morris Links at stunning Rosapenna.

Like the 46A bus to Dun Laoghaire, which would take an age to come and then arrive with another stuck to its exhaust pipe, there are signs that things are about to start moving apace in Irish golf.

Gavin Moynihan might be considered a shoo-in for a second Walker Cup cap but the Dubliner knows he needs to start showing some form to make sure of his place at Royal Lytham and St Annes in September.

Cormac Sharvin will go into this week’s Irish Amateur Open Championship full of confidence after claiming a top-five finish at the prestigious Lytham Trophy over the weekend.

Shaun Carter from Royal Dublin claimed victory in the weather marred Munster Open Stroke Play Championship Little Island yesterday.

The spelling might be different but the result was the same as Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy joined Rory McIlroy on a prestigious list of winners of the Radisson West of Ireland Championship at Rosses Point yesterday.

Youngster Sean Flanagan will today bid to become the first local golfer to claim the West of Ireland Golf Championship in 65 years.

European Amateur Championship

Gary Hurley’s charge towards the European Amateur title was halted as thunder and lightning forced an early finish on day three on the Dukes course at St Andrews.

Gary Hurley is still very much in contention to become the first Irish winner of the European Amateur Championship for eight years after finishing day two on the Dukes Course at St Andrews in a four-way tie for the lead.

West Waterford’s Gary Hurley stormed into the lead in the European Amateur Championship on the Dukes Course at St Andrews yesterday following a stunning opening round.

Maurice Kelly will be aiming to complete a magnificent quick-fire double when he competes at the British Seniors Amateur Championship, which gets underway at Ganton, Yorkshire, this morning.

Munster captured the Senior Interprovincial Championship for the second time in three years when they pulled off a magnificent 7-4 victory over hot favourites and holders Ulster in an epic decider at The Island links in North Dublin yesterday.

Ulster players have been the dominant force in Irish golf in recent years and the trend looks set to continue judging by developments over the opening two days of the Senior and Boys Interprovincials at the Island links in North Dublin.

The draw for the West Clare hotels South of Ireland Championship beginning at Lahinch on Saturday suggests the event is again attracting some of the biggest names in amateur golf.

A record-equalling seven under par 66 moved West Waterford’s Gary Hurley into joint fifth in the English Open stroke-play championship for the Brabazon Trophy at Seaton Carew, Hartlepool on Saturday.

Ireland’s Stuart Grehan moved up the leaderboard in the English Open Strokeplay championship for the Brabazon Trophy at Seaton Carew, Hartlepool yesterday with a stunning four-under-par 69.

Fota Island Resort chief executive Jonathan Woods has called for more international sporting and music events to be staged in Munster following the overwhelming success of the Irish Open in Cork at the weekend.

There have been too many examples over the years of promising young Irish amateur golfers losing the run of themselves and turning professional without considering all the implications.

Four Irish amateurs will tee it up at Fota Island today and while they all dream of following in the footsteps of fairytale 2009 champion Shane Lowry, they’re just thrilled to have a chance to rub shoulders with Rory McIlroy and some of the best players in the world.

Jack Hume sets out at Royal Portrush today in the 119th Amateur Championship determined to continue his summer of consistency and book his place in the St Andrews Trophy team to take on the Continent of Europe later in the year.

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.

Munster interprovincial Geoff Lenehan has no qualms about lifting what could cynically be termed an asterisk AIG Irish Amateur Close Championship at Seapoint Golf Links.