Three Irish in top 10 in European Amateur

Taoiseach Enda Kenny presents leading amateur Paul Cutler with a Waterford Crystal trophy at last week’s Irish Open. Photo Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.iePaul Cutler, Kevin Phelan and Richard O’Donovan tied for ninth place behind Austria’s Manuel Trappel in the European Amateur Championship at Halmstad GK in Sweden.

Trappel closed with a 70 to tie with England’s Steven Brown on 10 under par before going on to lift the title after a three hole play-off.

East of Ireland champion O’Donovan from Lucan closed with a two under 70 with Portstewart’s Cutler and Waterford Castle man Phelan shooting 73’s to leave them tied on three under.

Alan Dunbar also shot 73 to share 29th place on one over.

Phelan, Cutler and Dunbar will be hoping to impress the Walker Cup selectors at next week’s Home International matches at Rosses Point where they are joined in the Irish team by O’Donovan, Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little), Paul Dunne (Greystones), Niall Gorey (Muskerry), Aaron Kearney (Castlerock), Eddie McCormack (Galway), Gary McDermott (Co. Sligo) and Dermot McElroy (Ballymena).

The 2011 Walker Cup will be played on the Balgownie Links of Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, the sixth-oldest club in the world from September 10-11.