Lowry leads Irish stars for Portugal and Spain

Esker Hills' Shane Lowry will lead a quintet of Irish stars into action at the Portuguese and Spanish Amateur championships.

The reigning North and West of Ireland champion will be joined by Paul Cutler (Portstewart), Luke Lennox (Moyola Park), Dara Lernihan (Castle) and Alan Dunbar (Rathmore).

The Portuguese Amateur will be played at Troia Golf Club from 19-22 February with the Spanish Amateur Open Championship set for Seville Golf Club from 25 February – 1 March.

Lowry and Cutler were both members of the Irish team that captured the European Amateur Team Championship in Italy last year and were also on the victorious Home International team in 2008.

Lennox, Lernihan and Dunbar were also members of the Home International team.

Castle ace Lernihan finished runner-up to Paul O’Hanlon in the Irish Amateur Close Championship last year.

Dunbar and Lennox were also members of the Boys Home International Winning Team last year at Royal County Down.