Robbie Cannon and Eoin Leonard named in Irish squad
AIG Irish Close champion Robbie Cannon and runner-up Eoin Leonard have been named in the Irish squad for 2019.
While former South of Ireland and Irish Amateur Open champion Cannon has previously featured, Yalebased Leonard is the new face in the 14-strong senior squad, which lost Tramore’s Robin Dawson and Naas’ Jonathan Yates to the professional ranks this season.
The GUI also named the Under 18 and Under 16 panels as well as Provincial and Regional panels.
GUI National Coach Neil Manchip leads coaching for the panels, with regular coaching weekends held at the GUI National Golf Academy in Carton House.
Following an independent review, the GUI’s High Performance (HP) programme was revamped in 2017 with the introduction of a centrally led HP system that has resulted in an alignment of GUI coaching activities at National and Provincial level.
Provincial HP leads in each province work with Manchip and the GUI HP Programme Manager to provide the talent pathway, which begins at Regional level and feeds into the Provincial coaching centres and onto the National panels.
National Panel: Robert Brazill (Naas), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint), Robert Cannon (Balbriggan), Alex Gleeson (Castle), Eoin Leonard (Wentworth), Rowan Lester (Hermitage), Tiarnán McLarnon (Massereene), Ronan Mullarney (Galway), John Murphy (Kinsale), Peter
O’Keeffe (Douglas), Mark Power (Kilkenny), Conor Purcell (Portmarnock), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk), James Sugrue (Mallow).
U18 Panel: Josh Black (Lisburn), Joseph Byrne (Baltinglass), Robert Galligan (Elm Park), Dylan Keating (Seapoint), Max Kennedy (Royal Dublin), Alex Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown), Odhran Maguire (Slieve Russell), Joshua McCabe (Roganstown), Tom McKibbin (Holywood), Keaton Morrison (Greenacres), Aaron Marshall (Lisburn), Luke O’Neill (Connemara).
U16 Panel: Liam Abom (Edmondstown), Eoghan Cassidy (Kinsale), Mel Deasy (Bantry Bay), Thomas Higgins (Roscommon), Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle), Alex King (Faithlegg), Ewan McArthur (Massereene), Paraic McGrath (Cregmore Park), Sean McLoughlin (Co Sligo), Daniel Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown).