Kelly leads strong Irish contingent in race for British Seniors Amateur

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.

The Naas man is fresh off the back of bagging his third Irish Senior Amateur Close Championship at Tullamore last month, where he cantered to an eight-stroke victory.

But Kelly, who finished 15th at Royal Aberdeen last year, will certainly have his work cut out if he is to repeat his Tullamore triumph and wrestle the crown away from the reigning champion — American George Zahringer — and become the first Irish golfer to win the title since 2007.

Arthur Pierse’s victory at Nairn seven years ago is one of just two occasions that the trophy has been held outside of the United States since 2004.

A place in the Seniors Open Championship at Sunningdale next year is on offer to the winner of the three-day event.

Also looking to impress at Ganton will be John Mitchell (Tramore), who finished fourth last year, and former European Seniors Champion Adrian Morrow (Portmarnock).

Michael Quirke (Doneraile), Hugh Smyth (Mourne), Chris Hurst (Pedham Place), Tom Cleary (Cork), James Ormonde (Tralee) and George Wilson (Calcot Park) are also competing among the 144-strong field.

Meanwhile, there will also be a strong Irish contingent at the European Amateur Championships, beginning on the Dukes course at St Andrews, today.

The prestigious 72-hole event helped set newly-crowned Open champion and three-time major winner Rory McIlroy on the road to stardom, as he won the crown back in 2006.

The winner receives an invite to the Open Championship and other previous Irish winners include Brain McElhinney (2003), Stephen Browne (2001) and Paddy Gribben (1998).

One player who will be looking to make a big impression this time around is 26-year-old Dubliner Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock), fresh from his dramatic sudden death play-off win in the Mullinger Scratch Trophy – the first tournament victory of his career.

Also competing are Paul Dunne (Greystones), Gavin Moynihan (The Island), Dermot McElroy (Ballymena), Jack Hume (Rathsallagh), Cormac Sharvin (Ardglass GC), Gary Hurley (West Waterford/NUIM), Robin Dawson (Faithlegg), Chris Selfridge (Moyola Park), Stuart Grehan (Tullamore GC), Richard Bridges (Stackstown), Paul McBride (The Island) and Rory McNamara (Hedfort).