12 of the best heading for St Andrews
IRELAND’S 12-strong en try will be hoping to lay down a marker in the St Andrews Links Trophy at the Home of Golf this weekend.
Flogas Irish Amateur Open champion Robin Dawson is the highest ranked player among a six-man squad selected by the Golfing Union of Ireland as he heads to Scotland with Alex Gleeson (Castle), Rowan Lester (Hermitage), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk), Irish Students champion Ronan Mullarney (Galway) and Jonathan Yates (Naas) seeking his second big win of the year.
Newlands’ Jake Whelan, Portmarnock’s Jack Pierse, Massereene’s Tiarnan McLarnon, Kinsale’s John Murphy, Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell and Royal Dublin’s Barry Anderson will also be in action in an event that attracts a world-class field.
Alan Dunbar (2009) and Conor O’Rourke (2016) are Ireland’s past winners and with the Eisenhower Trophy set for Carton House later this year, it’s a chance for players to make a statement in their bid to make Ireland’s three-man team.
A 72-hole stroke play tournament, round one will be played on the New Course tomorrow with the second round set for the Old Course. The top 40 and ties after 36 holes then play two rounds on the Old Course on Sunday.
Ireland captain John Carroll (Bandon) is team manager for the event while the GUI’s High Performance programme is supported by Sport Ireland and Sport NI.