Never mind the pros — amateurs flying high

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.

Gavin Moynihan’s success at the Scottish Amateur Stroke Play a fortnight ago, with compatriot Jack Hume in a tie for second, underlined the strong recent form with The Island club man shooting up the World Amateur Golf Rankings from 253rd to 10th in the world following his Panmure success.

West Waterford’s Gary Hurley finished 10th and was the leading Irishman in the prestigious St Andrews Trophy at the weekend and as the Golfing Union of Ireland’s leading amateurs prepare for a hectic couple of weeks, Irish team captain Padraig Hogan told The Irish Examiner of his delight heading towards both the British Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush and Portstewart as well as the Irish Open, when the GUI will have Moynihan, Hurley, Dermot McElroy and Robbie Cannon in the field for the European Tour event.