Senior servant Christy Jnr ready to lend hand

Irish amateur golf is riding the crest of a wave after a record five Irishmen played on the winning Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup side just a few weeks ago.

And yet as many of our young stars prepare to tee it up with the cream of the Challenge Tour in next week’s Volopa Irish Challenge hosted by Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, tournament ambassador Christy O’Connor Jnr is both anxious and proud.

He’s proud that there is a new generation of stars waiting in the wings, but he’s also concerned at the vast numbers turning pro and worried they are not concentrating enough on the basic skills, shot-shaping and the short game, that separate the mere big hitters from those who will make it.