Moriarty and Kehoe to tee it up Down Under

COLM MORIARTY (Athlone) and Justin Kehoe (Birr) have been selected to compete in the Lake Macquarie Amateur Championship and the NSW Medal and Amateur Championship in Australia early in the New Year.

The Lake Macquarie Amateur 72 holes Stroke Play Championship will be played at the Belmont Golf Club on January 24-27, followed by the NSW 72 holes Medal and Amateur Championship at the Lakes Golf Club on February 5-9. Both events are in Sydney.

Moriarty, winner of the South of Ireland Championship and Willie Gill Award, was also named by the Irish Golf Writers’ Association as the outstanding amateur in 2002, while Kehoe topped his year by winning the World Universities Championship in Taiwan.

Michael McDermott (Stackstown) and Robert McCarthy (The Island), have been selected to compete in the Juan Carlos Tailhade Championship at the Los Lagartos Country Club, near Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 5-8 .

Meanwhile, the Irish Sports Council yesterday awarded 63,500 in grants to the country’s leading amateur golfers.

Moriarty is the top recipient with a grant of 6,000. Ireland’s other two World Cup team members, Noel Fox (Portmarnock), winner of the East of Ireland Championship, and Justin Kehoe both receive €4,500.

Irish Sports Council grants: Colm Moriarty (Athlone) €6,000; Justin Kehoe (Birr) €4,500; Noel Fox (Portmarnock) €4,500; Stuart Paul (Tandragee) €2,500; Tim Rice (Limerick) €2,500; Gareth Maybin (Ballyclare) €2,500; Darren Crowe (Dunmurry) €2,500; Alastair McKinley (Shandon Park) €2,000; Brian McElhinney (North West) €2,000; Robert McCarthy (The Island) €2,000; Cian McNamara (Limerick) €2,000; Colm Montgomery (Malone) €1,500; Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge) €1,500; Philip McLaughlin (Ballyliffin) €1,500; Ken Kearney (Roscommon) €1,250; John McGinn (Gereenore) €1,250; Michael McDermott (Stackstown) €1,250; Sean McTernan (Co Sligo) €1,250; Andrew McCormick (Scrabo) €1,250; John Foster (Ballyclare) €1,250; Mark O’Sullivan (Galway) €1,000; Connor Doran (Banbridge) €1,000; Shane Gannon (Co Louth) €1,000; Brian O’Connor (Hermitage) €1,000; Gareth Shaw (Lurgan) €1,000; Clancy Bowe (Tramore) €1,000; Brendan McCarroll (Ballyliffin) €1,000; Aaron O’ Callaghan (Douglas) €1,000; Derek McNamara (Connemara) €800; Michael McGeady (City of Derry) €750; Trevor Spence (Clandeboye) €750; Gavin McNeill (Waterford) €700; Harry Diamond (Holywood) €700; David Rawluk (The Island) €700; Thomas Kearney (Ballyliffin) €700; Mervyn Owens (Mallow) €600; Greg Bowden (Hermitage) €600; Greg Massey (Hermitage) €600; Cathal O’ Malley (Westport) €600; Jonathan Caldwell (Clandeboye) €600; Michael Mulryan (Athenry) €600; Martin McTernan (Co Sligo) €600; Jonathan Foran (Thurles) €600; James Barton (Ballinasloe) €600.