Noel Fox may be a reluctant traveller to events in Britain, but his stay-at-home policy - which has seen the Portmarnock player capture the Irish Open strokeplay title and the East of Ireland championship inside the past month - has been sufficiently impressive to sway the Royal & Ancient selectors to include him on the Britain and Ireland team for the St Andrews Trophy match with the Continent of Europe on June 30th-July 1st.

As part of a personal ambition towards securing a Walker Cup call-up for next year's biennial clash with the US, inclusion on the nine-man St Andrews Trophy team is considered an important step. The 26-year-old Irish international received confirmation of his selection yesterday. Because the British Open takes place over the Old Course next month, the St Andrews Trophy match - with the continentals expected to include new British Amateur champion Mikko Ilonen, a former West of Ireland champion, in their side - will take place over the Ailsa Course at Turnberry instead.

Fox is the only Irish player selected, although Shandon Park's Michael Hoey - who reached the last 16 of the British Amateur and who captured the Emirates Amateur championship earlier in the season - is named as first reserve.

The team is: Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Jamie Donaldson, Nick Dougherty, Noel Fox, Max Harris, Steven O'Hara and Gary Wolstenholme. Hoey and David Griffiths have been named as reserves, with Peter McEvoy as non-playing captain. Gary Cullen, who would have been considered a prime candidate for inclusion at the start of the season, has paid the price for some indifferent form so far this year.

Fox's next assignment in a season that is finally seen to be fulfilling his undoubted talents will be the Irish Amateur Close championship, which starts with strokeplay qualifying on Saturday and Sunday next at Royal Portrush. Ciaran McMonagle, of Dunfanaghy, defends the title he won in Killarney last year.

Meanwhile, three senior members of the Irish circuit will carry the GUI's hopes in the inaugural European Nations Cup which takes place at La Manga in Spain, starting on Thursday.

Clandeboye's David Jackson, the recent winner of the Irish Seniors title at Westport, along with Greystones' Eddie Condren, who was runner-up in that championship, and Moate's Dinny White, winner of the Munster Senior Open, comprise the Irish team.