Hard working Justin Kehoe heads south today - but he's thinking of his eastern promise.

Ireland will send a three-man team to compete in the World Cup for amateurs in Malaysia is October and Kehoe is a front-line candidate to grab one of the spots.

The 22 year old from Birr golf club is one of the up and coming talents in the country.

But he's also hotly fancied to repeat his win in the South of Ireland championship, which gets underway at legendary Lahinch today.

The man from Shinrone has taken a year out after his college career to play fulltime golf and make Ireland's first ever Eisenhower Cup side for Kuala Lumpur.

But he will be taking it one step at a time when he tees it up against Paul McGinley's brother Mick or Martin Poucher in the second round tomorrow.

He said: "I've been give a bye into round two but it's a question of where it will be into the deep end against Martin or the really deep end against Mick.

"To win the South you have to come through seven really tough matches and I don't think too many people successfully defend that title."

Killarney's Michael Guerin was the last man to do the trick, winning in 1960 and defending successfully in 1961 and '62.

But a lot has changed in Irish amateur golf since then and elite panel member Kehoe is part of a new breed of young Irish amateurs.

With competition for international trips hotting up, the days when the top amateurs in the country combined golf and Guinness are long gone.

Kehoe's ultimate ambition is to make the Walker Cup panel and play against the US at Ganton next year.

But he has yet to make Garth McGimpsey's panel and feels that getting to Malaysia might be a good shop window.

"I'm trying to think about it. Let them pick or not pick as the case may be. I'm just thinking about my next match and letting that kind of thing look after itself," he said. "But obviously it would be a huge honour to play in the World Cup."

Kehoe was one of the few GB and I success stories in the 15.5 - 8.5 Palmer Cup defeat at Doonbeg two weeks ago.

The varsity challenge went to the Americans for the second year on the trot but Kehoe managed a rare singles win on the final day over John Klauk.

A professional career is still a long way down the road but the Offaly man is already working hard with top coach Brendan McDaid to improve his technique.

He said: "A lot of the changes I am working on happen before I even take the club away. My grip, stance and posture. All round I feel like I am a better player technically than last year."

That has to be bad news for the rest of his rivals after his stunning performance at Lahinch last year.

He thrashed player of the year Stephen Browne by six and five in the final with a stunning display over the opening holes.

He added: "That gave me a lot of confidence. Hopefully I can keep it up this year."

Judging by his play against the top Americans in the Palmer Cup, Kehoe is getting ready for another day in the sun at Lahinch.

Padraig
Nearly man Padraig Harrington feels he can still improve before the US PGA championship at Hazeltine next month.

The Dubliner has finished fifth in the Masters and the Open and eighth at the US Open already this season.

He said: "I have to be happy with my performances at the highest level. I thought I hit the ball superbly at Muirfield but was way down the putting rankings. Hopefully, it is only a matter of time and the most encouraging thing is that I'm still improving."

Harrington birdied the par five 17th at Muirfield but only revealed this week that his ball was sitting in a sandy lie.

He said: "My drive on 17 found the fairway but when I got to the ball it was in a sandy divot. To illustrate how well I was hitting the ball, I hit a three iron from this lie onto the green and left my eagle putt just short.

"After the TNT Open I will take two weeks off to prepare for Hazeltine. Who knows. It might be fourth time lucky."

Alison
Warrenpoint's Alison Coffey will achieve the ambition of a lifetime in Pennsylvania next weekend.

The 29-year-old Belfast star will finally make her Curtis Cup debut after being sensationally left out of the team that lost 10-8 at Ganton two years ago.

She said: "That's all forgotten now. I just want to get out there and play. And win."

The US women have won the title for the past two editions but that could all change at Fox Chapel Golf Club near Pittsburgh.

Coffey could go on to make several Curtis appearances in future years.

But she is unlikely to match Donabate's Mary McKenna. The Dubliner made a record nine appearances between 1970 and 1986.

Mullingar
Colm Moriarty will be keen to erase his Open disappointment with a repeat win in the Friends First sponsored Mullingar Scratch Cup next week.

The Walker Cup hopeful missed out on Muirfield when he followed a 63 at North Berwick with a four over par 75.

In the end he missed qualifying for the biggest tournament in the world by two shots.

"Mullingar is a special event. To win it twice in a row would go a long way towards making up for that disappointment."

The Irish international elite panel will be there but don't bet on Noel Fox repeating his 12 under par 60 of last year.

Pin positions will be tougher and fairways narrower this year.

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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