Grants worth €73,000 have been awarded to leading amateur golfers by the Golfing Union of Ireland. The grant allocation, which is funded by the Irish Sports Council, is in respect of national and international competition and training costs in 2008. Shane Lowry (Esker Hills) and Paul Cutler (Portstewart) are the top recipients, both receiving a grant of €6,000, while Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin) and Dara Lernihan (Castle) both receive €5,000.