GRIFFITHS MAKES ENGLAND DEBUT

DAVID GRIFFITHS, of West Herts, last year's Daily Telegraph/Center Parcs junior champion, makes his England debut today in the Home Internationals at Royal County Down.

His confidence should be sky-high because, just before he left for Northern Ireland, Griffiths, 19, won the Champion of Champions Tournament at Woodhall Spa with a five-under-par total of 141.

Griffiths's rounds of 69 - the only sub-70 score of the day - and 72 left him well clear of runner-up John Longcake, of Cumbria (74, 72).

After winning the Raymond Trophy for the past six years, England are firm favourites to again finish top. But they are missing three of their top players - Paul Casey, Luke Donald and Philip Rowe - who were all in the recent triumphant Walker Cup team.

Casey, Donald and Rowe are at college in the United States, but three other Walker Cup players are on duty for England - Graeme Storm, Simon Dyson and Gary Wolstenholme.