43 Adrian Morrow, Portmarnock

East of Ireland winner 1975, 1983. South of Ireland winner 1983, 1996. West of Ireland runner-up 1992. Caps 39.

Winner of three Irish Senior Cup medals with Portmarnock, Adrian Morrow’s tall, wiry figure was a mainstay on the amateur circuit from 1975 right up to the time he turned his attention to senior golf,following his first round loss to eventual winner Rory McIlroy in the first round of the 2006 Close at The European Club. He won the East and South twice and earned 39 caps for Ireland in a fine career. It’s a testament to his skill that he won the European Seniors Individual Championship in 2008 and 2012.

11 Ronan Rafferty, Warrenpoint

British Boys winner 1979. Irish Close winner 1980. Brabazon Trophy (tied with Peter McEvoy) 1980. Eisehnower Trophy 1980. Walker Cup 1981. Caps 25.

Hailed as a child prodigy, Ronan Rafferty (pictured right with Brendan McDaid during the inaugural Munster youths at Muskerry in 1980) lived up to his reputation by winning the British Boys Amateur Championship aged 15 and the Irish Close at 16, comfortably beating Rory McIlroy’s current coach Michael Bannon in the final at Royal County Down. He played in the Walker Cup at 17 years and seven months after finishing tied for first in the 1980 Brabazon Trophy with the two -time British Amateur champion Peter McEvoy. He displayed a golfing maturity beyond his years that put him head and shoulders about his contemporaries in the amateur game, placing huge emphasis on course management and precision, which stood to him when he turned professional in 1981. He quickly became a star and won the European Tour’s Order of Merit 1989 as well as Ryder Cup honours.