McElhinney to face tough test at Close Championship

Brian McElhinney from North West will face stiff opposition when he defends his Irish Close Championship title next month at Westport Golf Club.

The field boasts 96 players playing off scratch or better and includes Dunmurry's Darren Crowe and teen sensation Rory McIlroy of Holywood.

Crowe, who finished runner-up in the Irish Amateur Open Championship at Carton House in May, is the current World Universities Champion while McIlroy became the youngest winner of the West of Ireland Championship in April at the age of 15.

The field of 150 will play 36 holes strokeplay with the leading 64 qualifying for the matchplay stages of the event. The event takes place from June 11 to 15.

Recent winners of the title include Graeme McDowell (2000), Peter Lawrie (1996), Padraig Harrington (1995), Gary Murphy (1992), Darren Clarke (1990) and Paul McGinley (1989).