Lahinch takes giant step towards boosting prestige of South

Lahinch Golf Club has taken what it believes will be a giant step towards restoring the prestige of the South of Ireland Amateur Championship by staging a 36-hole stroke play qualifier next year.

Thanks to a less congested national calendar, it’s more likely top Irish and possibly some elite international players will be available to make the trip to the classic Co Clare links for Ireland’s oldest provincial championship.

The date has been brought forward by three days and will begin with stroke-play qualifying rounds over the Old Course on Wednesday and Thursday July 22 and 23, designed to produce a quality 64-man field for match-play combat from July 24-26.