Cutler and Dunbar lead Irish challenge at Sligo

INSPIRED by the exploits of Pádraig Harrington, Ireland won the Home International Championship when it was last staged at Rosses Point in 1991.

They are now hoping for a similar outcome when the event returns to the great Sligo links over the next three days.

The championship is especially significant as it represents the last opportunity for candidates on the British & Irish Walker Cup team to take on the US in the bi-annual contest at Royal Aberdeen next month to catch the eyes of the selectors. England are favourites for a hat-trick of wins in the series and are led by Steven Brown, recent winner of the English championship and who lost in a three hole play-off for the European Championship on Saturday.

Ireland will take the English on today with more hope than confidence although home course advantage could play a key role. It certainly helps that our two leading Walker Cup team candidates, Paul Cutler and Alan Dunbar, reached the final of the West of Ireland at Rosses Point at Easter, the former winning by 4 and 2.

Niall Gorey, a new cap from Muskerry, was a semi-finalist in the “West” and recently impressed over the links during the Interprovincial Championship, as did Gary McDermott and Eddie McCormack who helped Connacht to only their second success in the competition.

Scotland will be expected to dispose of Wales in the second match on today’s schedule. See Digest.

* ALEX GLEESON and Gary Hurley, two of the rising stars of the game in Ireland, put themselves in strong positions in Somerset yesterday to grab places in the knock-out draw of the Boys Amateur Championship after the second and final qualifying round today.

Gleeson, one of the early starters at Enmore Park, fired a one over 72, while West Waterford’s Hurley playing at Burnham and Berrow went around in two over 73.

Rathsallagh’s David Manifold has some work to do if he is to make progress after a disappointing 78 yesterday. A double bogey seven on the fourth was costly and he had three bogeys on the way home.

Elm Park’s Keagan Cummings posted a respectable 74 to maintain his hopes. It was a strange round in that he went out with nine straight pars, then had four consecutive bogeys and finished with a birdie four.

Leading the way after round one was German Stefan Still who recorded an excellent 68 at Enmore Park one better than Royal North Devon’s Jimmy Mullen.

* CASTLETROY’S Chloe Ryan failed by one stroke to qualify for the match-play stages of the British Girls Open Amateur Championship at Gullane yesterday after a two over par 75 gave her a 36-hole total of 154.