Richard Green
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe
In the end Sunday at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club the second time around for the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland this millennium, proved equally as fallow as other Irish venues when it came to producing a home victor. Even with four major winners in the field and six major titles between them - it was not to be. Despite also the heroic efforts of some of the unsung heroes of the domestic game - amateur Paul Cutler, Colm Moriarty, Michael Hoey and Damien McGrane.
Indeed it was left to Dubliner Peter Lawrie to yield the highest Irish finish this time around, who finished in a three way share of eighth place, with a final round 69.
For Simon Thornton there was nothing but positives after his final round earned him a five under par total, along with a cheque for €16,950 - which will go a long way to funding some more Challenge Tour appearances this season. Having missed the cut last year by a few strokes, losing his tour card and then failing to make it back through Qualifying school, there was no reason to expect Thornton to be in the mix this week. But a share of 21st place alongside Damien McGrane is notable return for a player now getting his practice on the Irish PGA region.
For McGrane, Killarney must have mixed memories, not only this week, but twelve months ago also, when it was 35th place finish on two under. This time there was a touch of deja-vu when the Meath golfer carded a third round 77, which contrasted with his other very efficient rounds of 69, 67 and 66. But a closing eighteen holes on five under must have gone some way to easing the frustration having put himself at the top of the leader board on Friday evening.
However it has not been the most consistent season for McGrane so far, with only one top ten finish so far, that came at the recent Iberodrola Open in Mallorca, which was won by Darren Clarke. A year ago McGrane was in more consistent form. But twelve months in golf is a long time, as Graeme McDowell will testify.
Despite the weight of being the first European US Open winner in four decades now off his shoulders, the Portrush man is battling with a few demons. In Killarney it seemed to be the greens, which he felt he never really came to grips with this week, adding to an adding sense of frustration. But like buses these moments come in waves and currently McDowell’s number is not up, as it was not for his stable mate, Ross Fisher.
A year ago indeed, the momentum was with McDowell’s Management company and it was Horizon Sports CEO, Conor Ridge, who seemed to be dancing on eighteenth green's all around the place and congratulating players at will. That included Ross Fisher in Killarney, which came only weeks after the Pebble Beach win for GMAC. This season though it seems that anyone or anything associated with Team ISM are in the pound seats, with Simon Dyson adding to the victories achieved by Clarke and McIlroy.
In fairness, Ross Fisher’s defence on Sunday was undertaken in the wake of his four month old son being taken ill the previous night and so between fatigue and worry, the Englishman’s fight was naturally restrained. And immediately after completing the final round Fisher set off for the hospital to get an update, with his seventeenth place finish largely irrelevant in the scheme of things.
For Paul Cutler the achievement twelve months after Fisher’s win last year can only be talked about with superlatives as the golf the young man produced over the four days was impressive - moving on Sunday at one point to within four shots of the leader. With birdies on the first and the eighth it looked like another local amateur was about to beat the odds and win an event that only three Irish professionals have managed to do so far – Christy O’Connor Snr, John O’Leary and Padraig Harrington.
Alas, there was to be no fairytale finish this time in Killarney but the Walker Cup selectors present at the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland must surely now give the Portstewart talent more than serious consideration for the match in September at the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club. In Cutler’s mind there was little doubt he had done enough to merit selection and he remains hopeful of joining a long list of Irish names that have played the amateur event. So far it is one of the key events pencilled in for the remainder of the year.
The other is European Tour Qualifying School, as he wants to turn professional soon.
As Colm Moriarty can testify the trajectory towards a profitable professional golf career looks more simple on paper than it can bear out in real life, and eight years after his Walker Cup appearance the Athlone golfer is waiting for the door to open. This week in Killarney it was the closest it came for a while and an opening round of 67 put him in the frame early doors on Friday, which was supported by a one over par round on Friday. However a double bogey on the 10th on Saturday set him back to 74 and then Sunday was all about being practical. A final day 70 earned him €7,650 – almost as much as he has gathered in four Challenge Tour events so far this season.
Michael Hoey left Killarney with a few Euros more despite two double bogeys blotting his card on Sunday to earn him a share of 34th place, signing a card with his second eagle in as many days. This time on the par five 7th.
For John Kelly the week ahead probably means a return to pressures of the day job - lessons, coaching and playing a PGA events – and back to the academy at St. Margarets Golf Club. However, after a week on the shores of Lough Leanne, Kelly should reflect on his achievement, both on a personal level and for the Irish PGA Region.
This year as the sole qualifier from the Irish Region’s 2010 Lexus Race to Mount Juliet order of merit, the Dubliner carded an aggregate of 286 - following rounds of 73, 68, 74 and 71 – to finish ahead of Richie Ramsay, Lloyd Saltman and Martin Lafeber. The 2009 Irish PGA Region number one will no doubt now also plan a return to Q School in September.
In terms of the US Open Champion, Rory McIlroy, it has been a week of many things and the Twitterspat with Jay Townsend on the first day commanding much media attention over three of the days. Like the other three major champions McIlroy failed to sparkle and his level par finish on Sunday left him on 3 under overall, in an event most pundits imagined he would win this week. Pretty much like a year ago when he was in a share of 35th place on 2 under.
Overall though, the week was not McIlroy’s finest on or off the course the pundits would have us believe. But the y should try telling that to the huge galleries that followed both Rory and Graeme around throughout the four days.
Indeed, the crowds in general surpassed the record of last year which is an achievement that deserves recognition given the lack of a title sponsor and the reduced marketing budget. But then the capital gained by the two major wins in two months by two products of the Golfing Union of Ireland delivered more value than any fancy advertising campaign could buy – it would seem. So it was only fitting that the fans supported the event in their numbers.
The likeable Australian, Richard Green, might have wished the crowds were smaller when he missed the clutch putt on the eighteenth to force a play off. with Simon Dyson. But as the ball slid past the hole the Melbourne man paid the price for under clubbing his final approach shot, leaving him with a long putt on the clubhouse green. With Dyson waiting by the recorders hut, Green looked nervous as he hit the ball, which in the end over ran past the hole – leaving him with a lengthy return stroke. The look of despair on Green's face was palatable when he bogeyed the hole, giving up the lead for the first time all day to lose the tournament.
As the Aussie struggled to comprehend what had just happened the Englishman could n’t hold back his delight as he captured his first win in two years.
However after four days with only three shots dropped, and a well timed run five holes from home, made Dyson a deserved winner. Albeit he too would have preferred to birdie the last for an outright win rather than see Green cough it up in the manner he did on Sunday. But such is golf.
In fact, it brought back memories of that shocked look on Richard Green’s face at the Portugal Masters last October, when he became the beneficiary of some sloppy golf on the final hole. That day, when waiting in the clubhouse to see if his round of 65 was enough to force the issue for the groups leading behind him, Pablo Martin of Spain imploded before his eyes on the last hole with a watery double bogey giving Green the half million euro prize money. That day he happily accepted his fate.
In Killarney he may have lost the additional eight four thousand euro by coming second, but again he did so with dignity.
Fair Dinkum Mate.
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