Prospect of Walker Cup place sure to whet appetites at South of Ireland Championship

Meanwhile, all six of Ireland’s victorious European Amateur Team Championships squad will be in action at Lahinch, a fortnight on from their success in Estonia

Lahinch's Jonathan Keane. Pic: Niall O’Shea

Not that one is needed but there will be an extra incentive to succeed when a stacked field tees it up at Lahinch for the Pierse Motor Group South of Ireland Championship on Wednesday morning.

The prospect of a return to Lahinch in early September as a member of the Great Britain & Ireland team to contest the 2026 Walker Cup against the USA is certain to whet the appetite for the quality golfers in front of returning GB&I captain Dean Robertson.

The Scot is a big fan of the Old Course, describing it as “a masterpiece” and he brought his wider panel to the County Clare links on Monday ahead of Wednesday’s first round of strokeplay to determine the line-up for the matchplay knockout rounds over the weekend.

“I love the golf course,” Robertson said.

“My favourite holes are the sixth and the seventh, looking out to the Atlantic, but most definitely key driving holes like 10, 15, 17, 18. The big holes, the longer holes like the second, the 18th, the fourth, the 12th.

“So the players that hit the ball long. There's going to be factors in terms of foursomes play in there, the way the golf course lends itself. And you've got the 13th, the short par four that's drivable so from a matchplay standpoint it's going to be exciting.

“I don't know how it's going to get set up because I haven't been asked that. I probably don't get a say in that but the one thing that I have asked Lahinch Golf Club is just let the golf course be natural, be the brilliant course that it is and let's not be having the greens too fast.

GB&I captain Dean Robertson will have his eye on some players at this week's Championship in Lahinch. Pic: Luke Hales/Getty

Robertson stopped short of insisted his potential team members play the South this week ahead of the September 5 and 6 matches but added: “I've just strongly encouraged them and certainly the South of Ireland is one that you will see a different dynamic in the entry list for sure.

“Lahinch is unique, there's a lot of run-offs in terms of the greens and so on and so forth so it's shorter than some of them but it will be a fantastic matchplay golf course.” What better way to impress the Walker Cup captain than by playing well this week and planting a seed in his brain ahead of the team announcement set for August 18?

Co Louth’s Stuart Grehan was part of last year’s defeated GB&I team at Cypress Point in California and has already qualified for the 10-man team this time around thanks to his victory at last month’s British Amateur Championship. The 32-year-old, whose win at Royal Liverpool also gained him an exemption into last week’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, will tee off at 12:40, while his 2025 team-mate Connor Graham of Scotland, goes off 10 minutes earlier.

Lahinch’s own Jonathan Keane gets his title defence underway at 12:10pm in a quality threeball with Fota Island’s Birkdale hero David Howard and Keith Egan of Carton House.

All six of Ireland’s victorious European Amateur Team Championships squad will be in action at Lahinch, a fortnight on from their success in Estonia. 

Grehan is joined by team-mates John Doyle of Fota Island, his Co Louth clubmate Gavin Tiernan, Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty and Malone’s Matthew McClean as well as Roscommon’s Thomas Higgins, who delivered the winning putt to secure Ireland’s first European Team title in 18 years.

GB&I captain Robertson is expecting fireworks this week from “a number of strong contenders for the team.

“The winner of the South of Ireland certainly brings a new dynamic to that event and you're looking for foreign players, you're looking for winners in the team so who's to say the winner of the South of Ireland isn't a Walker Cup player this year?”