The Irish Golf Club Gazette: EuroSeniorTour

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5/15/2016

Where are they Now - J.McHenry

John McHenry is a professional golfer who spent 12 years on the European Tour from 1987 to 2000 winning three Challenge Tour titles during that time. He also holds three Irish youth titles and four amateur European titles.

When the chance to become Director of the K Club presented itself, McHenry recognised it as another challenging opportunity, especially with the 2006 Ryder Cup, which under McHenry, proved to be an unequivocal success.

After the K Club McHenry moved down the road where he was retained to set up and run a luxurious golf facility at Moyvalley, County Kildare, which opened in 2008. However that ended in a legal wrangle a year later and was finally resolved favourably for the Cork man.

Hailing from the Douglas Golf Club John claimed Irish Youths titles in 1980, 1981, and 1985, and in 1986 became the Irish Close champion, winning at Royal Dublin by 4 and 3 against Paul Rayfus of Trim (now County Meath GC). Rayfus had won the West of Ireland title that year, but had no answer to McHenry in the Irish Close final.

McHenry added the South of Ireland title at Lahinch in 1986 which helped in no small way to his selection for the Walker Cup team in 1987 and on the road to what looked like a promising professional career.

Between his first season in 1988 and 1999, McHenry won €262,926 in prize money with his highest Tour being 81st in 1993. A spectacular performance ensured a third place finish in the 1998 Irish Open at Druids Glen and a cheque that secured a Tour card fop another season.

Since losing his card McHenry has mixed golf consultancy with a media career at RTE Sport been where he covers the Irish Open. In 2009 he joined the mobile phone company 3 as a consultant to the Irish Open bringing the event to Baltray that same year and then Killarney in 2010.

John currently runs McHenry Golf Limited (MGL) which specialises in the provision of a diversified range of specialised golf services to start-up as well as to existing golf resorts.

McHenry also writes for the Irish Examiner.

Fact File

Date of Birth: March 14th, 1964

Place of Birth: Cork

Turned Pro: 1987

Qualifying School 1987*, 88*, 89, 90

Titles

Open de Lyon 1991

Italian Boggi Open 1990

Rolex Pro-Am 1990

1/07/2016

Golfing legend - Christy O'Connor Jnr

PA News

1985 Ryder Cup star and former British Senior Open champion Christy O’Connor Jnr has died at the age of 67.

The Irishman, who turned professional in 1967, was best remembered for helping Europe retain the Ryder Cup at The Belfry in 1989 when he fired a stunning two-iron to within four feet of the 18th pin to beat Fred Couples and secure a 14-14 draw with the States.

O'Connor, the nephew of golfing great Christy O'Connor, won four times on the European Tour before joining the senior ranks where he won back-to-back British Seniors Open titles on home soil in 1999 and 2000.

In a statement, the Golf Union of Ireland paid tribute to the Galway man, labelling him a 'gentleman, an iconic figure of Irish golf and a true ambassador'.

"He was a pioneer for professional Irish golfers and inspired a generation of players," the organisation added.

O'Connor, who in his latter years was heavily involved in designing over 30 golf courses across Europe, died in his sleep while on holiday in Tenerife.

Fellow-countryman Shane Lowry said: "Very sad news today about Christy O'Connor Jnr. An absolute legend of Irish golf. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones."

George O'Grady, chief executive of the European Tour from 2004-2015, said: "It is a very sad day for the O'Connor family and for Ireland as a whole.

"Christy Jnr was a legendary figure and his immense legacy is far more than purely his playing record. He was a universally popular player and always enhanced every tournament he played, no matter the occasion. His infectious charm will be sorely missed."

Ken Schofield, executive director of the European Tour from 1975-2004, said: "Christy Jnr's playing record will rightly depict him as one of Ireland and Europe's leading players of his generation - the generation that set the template for today's global European Tour.

"Much more so for everyone involved with the Tour and the game of golf, Christy will be remembered as a gentleman spirit - every amateur golfer's dream as the perfect Pro-Am partner, on and off the golf course. It is a very sad day for the game and our hearts go out to Ann and all the extended family."

Speaking in 2010 about his famous victory over Couples, O'Connor Jnr revealed European captain Tony Jacklin had been one of the few people to have faith in one of his three wild card selections.

"It was the greatest and most emotional moment of my professional life," said O'Connor Jnr, who is survived by his wife Ann, daughter Ann and son Nigel. "I'd felt terrible at breakfast that morning because of an article writing me off in one of the Sunday newspapers.

"I felt the pressure it put on me was too much. Tony Jacklin, the captain, was brilliant on the final hole. He said on the 18th tee that if I put the pressure on, Fred wouldn't be able to take it.

"Even though I was miles behind him after the tee shots, Jacko didn't lose faith. 'Put it on the green, I've a feeling that something will happen,' he said.

"Well everyone knows that I played the shot of my life, a two iron from 235 yards that finished four foot from the hole. I guess you could say I did put it on the green and something did happen. I remember looking up to the sky with my arms outstretched and tears ran down my face. It was unforgettable."

10/02/2014

Smyth Back on Course in France

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Des Smyth is looking forward to getting back to his day job when he tees up in this week’s French Riviera Masters at Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort in Provence.

Irishman Smyth spent last week working as part of Paul McGinley’s backroom staff at the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles but is raring to get back to European Senior Tour action on a course where he finished tied fifth behind England’s David J Russell two years ago.

“The Ryder Cup was a wonderful experience and a something I would not have missed for the world,” said the five-time Senior Tour champion.

“I’d say it was probably my last foray into the big time and I could not have spent it with a nicer group of people. They were all so professional and determined to get the job done. It was a pleasure to work with them and is something I will never forget

“You might find this quite amusing when I say this, but you’re so busy running around the whole week turns into a bit of a blur. I was very tired by the time the celebrations started on Sunday night, but I was sensible enough to bail out about 2.00 am. I’m getting too old for really late nights so maybe that’s why I’m feeling relaxed and ready to go.”

Smyth arrives in the south of France fresh from a tie for third at the Russian Open Golf Championship (Senior) and a share of 16th place at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open in Germany.

“I was playing well before the Ryder Cup and have been looking forward to coming back here.

“It’s a challenging course. There are a lot of trees. If the wind blows it’s a bit like Wentworth. The wind funnels up and down so you’re never quite sure where it’s coming from.”

“I haven’t hand a club in my hands since Sunday week but I played the last two tournaments well and I’m confident I can keep my run going.”

Another player who is looking forward to the third French Riviera Masters to be played in successive years at Terre Blanche is Australia’s Peter Fowler, who 12 months ago overturned Andrew Oldcorn’s four shot lead to finish three strokes clear of the Scot and Spaniard Santiago Luna.

“I have a lot of warm memories of Terre Blanche and it’s a course that suits my eye.”

“I have stayed on site for the last couple of years and it’s a great place to. They’ve got a big pool and that’s good for loosening me up in the mornings. By the time I get to the range my body is feeling pretty good and it’s not every week I can say that.

“You always feel comfortable on certain courses and this is one of those for me. It’s not easy but it certainly rewards good golf.”

This week’s tournament has attracted a strong field that includes former Ryder Cup Captains Mark James and Ian Woosnam, as well as ex-Ryder Cup players Gordon Brand, Gordon Brand Jnr, Antonio Garrido, Manuel Pinero, Barry Lane, Ronan Rafferty and Philip Walton.

There is also a strong French contingent comprising Marc Farry, Jean-Francois Remesy, Roger Sabarros, Francois Illouz and Jean Pierre Sallat.

“It’s always nice to play at home and particularly when the weather is as good as this,” said Farry. “It’s a fantastic venue and seems to get better every year we play.

“It’s a nice mixture of the best European and US style courses. You have to do everything well here. You have to drive well and putt well. The greens are very undulating and I think they are quicker than they have been in the past. It’s a demanding course but it’s also a very good test of golf.”

Terre Blanche is a European Tour Destination and part of the European Tour Properties portfolio. The resort was the first to be afforded European Tour Performance Institute status.

9/19/2014

Where are they Now - Philip Walton

Getty Images

The County Tipperary Golf Club at Dundrum House is a 150 acre golf course specifically designed to use the natural features of woodland, parkland and Multeen River where Philip Walton combined the natural elements to create a very challenging par 72 course.

At St. Helen’s Bay Golf Cub in Rosslare he designed a championship that overlooks one of Ireland's most beautiful beaches on the south east coast wherehe took the challenge of forging a stern golfing test from the mixture of parkland and links. The 17th and 18th holes enjoy a view of beach and sea which accompany the fairways all the way home.

Away from golf course design Walton also shares a common link with fellow Irishmen Paul McGinley, Eamon Darcy, Christy O’Connor Jnr and Graeme McDowell; Philip Walton will always be remembered for securing that all important point in the Ryder Cup at Oak Hill in Rochester, New York in 1995.

Playing Jay Haas of the USA in the penultimate singles Walton held his nerve to two putt the final green for a European win much to the delight of his team Captain, Bernard Gallacher, and team mates; Seve Ballesteros, Howard Clark, Mark James, Ian Woosnam, Constantino Rocca, David Gilford, Colin Montgomerie, Sir Nick Faldo and Per Ulrik Johansson.

Philip Walton grew up in Malahide and spent three years at Oklahoma University on a Scholarship.

In the Walker Cup Philip won three points out of four in 1981 and 1983 before turning professional that same year.

Walton has won the Irish PGA Championship four times and previous winners include Padraig Harrington [6]; Paul McGinley [4], Darren Clarke and Christy O’Connor Snr [10].

In 1995 Philip Walton, Ronan Rafferty and David Feherty won the Alfred Dunhill Cup, a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000 with three man teams representing each country and promoted as the "World Team Championship" hosted at St Andrews in Scotland.

On the European Tour Walton was a winner three times with victories at the Open de Catalonia, Peugeot Open de France and Murphy's English Open.

In 2004 he returned to The European Tour after losing his card in 1999, and enduring five unsuccessful visits to the Qualifying School Finals in the preceding years.

Walton qualified for The Open Championship in 2008 at Royal Birkdale.

In 2010 Walton played the 3 Irish Open in Killarney and finished 12th in the Irish PGA Lexus Race to Mount Juliet in association with PING and Failte Ireland.

He also hosts the annual Philip Walton Golf Classic at Dundrum House in July with another annual event at Malahide Golf Club every summer.

Philip Walton is a regular commentator on the game with a column for the 2010 Ryder Cup with the Evening Herald.

Once Walton turned 50 in 2012 he became eligible to play the European Senior Tour.

Victories

Peugeot Open de France (1990)

Murphy’s English Open (1995)

Catalonia Open (1995)

Team Events

Ryder Cup (1995)

World Cup (1995)

Alfred Dunhill Cup (1990)

Irish PGA

PGA Championship (1987)

PGA Championship (1989)

PGA Championship (1993)

PGA Championship (1995)

Amateur Career

Scottish Amateur Stroke Play Championship, (1981)

Spanish Open Amateur Championship (1981)

Amateur Team Events

Walker Cup (1981, 1983)

Eisenhower Trophy (1982)

Personal

Date of Birth 28/03/1962

Residence: Co. Meath, Ireland

Attachment: FORE Ireland

Turned Pro: 1983 (plus 1)

8/30/2014

Philip Waltzes Third at Woburn

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Philip Walton made a good start at the Travis Perkins Masters on Friday, reaching the turn in 33 strokes - for a two under score - after dropping shots on the second and eighth. On the back nine the 1995 Ryder Cup player finished level to remain a in four share of third place, two shots behind the joint leaders

Colin Montgomerie made an impressive start to the defence of his title carding a bogey-free four under par opening round of 68 to share the lead with American Gary Rusnak at Woburn Golf Club.

The double Senior Major Champion triumphed by six strokes 12 months ago, and he took little time to get into the red again, birdieing the opening hole of the Duke’s Course. He then picked up further shots on the third and tenth, before holing an incredible snaking 25ft birdie putt down the two-tiered green on the 14th hole.

Swirling winds made conditions tricky at the tree-lined course, with only nine players breaking par, but Montgomerie produced an exemplary display of driving, hitting every fairway as he looks to become the only the second player after Carl Mason in 2006-07 to successfully defend the Travis Perkins Masters crown.

“It was difficult out there today,” he said. “The wind was swirling so you stand over the shot, and one minute it is one club and then another club the next minute. So, to go round bogey free is very good. It was hard to get it close to the hole, and I’m delighted to get in with a 68.”

The 2010 European Ryder Cup Captain and Rusnak are two shots clear of a group of four players, which included Montgomerie’s playing partner Cesar Monasterio, the winner of last week’s English Senior Open, who began his bid for back-to-back victories with a round of 70.

Montgomerie, who won the US Senior PGA and US Senior Open earlier this season, started with consecutive rounds of 68 last year, and he is now 14 under par for his four tournament rounds at Woburn, with his consistency off the tee a crucial factor.

“I drove the ball particularly well, and knowing the course as I do from last year made it easier, but the conditions made scoring higher than you’d expect,” he said. “Driving well is the key to success round here. You have to hit the fairways, and not just that but the right side of the fairways, and I did that today, so long may it continue.

“The putt on 14 was fantastic too. It was two tiers and I thought I had left it on top but it trickled and trickled from the top of the green, broke one way, broke the next and it was fortunate it went in. It went every way, but it was a very good putt.”

Mason currently holds the record as the quickest player to win four times on the Senior Tour, doing so in just 11 events, but if Montgomerie retains his title it would be his fourth win in just nine appearances. However, he know he will face some stiff competition over the weekend, with Rusnak looking to become the fourth maiden winner of the 2014 season.

Rusnak holed a 15ft putt on the last hole for his fifth birdie of the day, with just one bogey on his card on the 14th hole, as he carded a first round in the 60s for the fourth time in his last five tournaments.

“I’ve had some good first rounds this season, but I’ve not been able to put three rounds together,” said the 51 year old. “If I keep at it, the more chances I get I will strike one day. It ought to be exciting playing with Monty now, especially round here when he is defending, so I’m looking forward to that.”

Monasterio had held the lead in the early stages after four birdies in his opening 12 holes, but he dropped shots on the 14th and 16th holes to finish on two under par. Also two shots back are Ireland’s Philip Walton, Canada’s Rick Gibson and Frenchman Marc Farry.

Denis O' Sullivan signed for a round of 73.

Des Smyth ended the day on 76.

8/28/2014

Smyth's Woburn Feeling

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Des Smyth is hoping to feed off the good vibes he has at Woburn Golf Club as he looks to kick-start his 2014 European Senior Tour season at the Travis Perkins Masters.

The Irishman, who will be one of Paul McGinley’s Vice-Captains at next month’s Ryder Cup, is a two-time winner of the tournament, and he will be aiming to continue his sequence of triumphing in Ryder Cup years, after claiming the title in 2010 and 2012.

It has been a slow start to the current campaign for Smyth, whose only top ten finish came a fortnight ago at the SSE Scottish Senior Open.

But he believes a return to the picturesque Duke’s Course at Woburn could be just the catalyst he needs to get his game back on track.

“I’ve had two wins here and it is a place I’ve always liked coming to,” said the 61 year old. “I played poorly last year, but my form had gone off by that stage. I’m searching for a bit of form again this year. I’ve had no performances worth talking about so far. I’ve had one top ten in Scotland when I had a chance to do better but messed up at the end, so I’m hoping I can get going this week and get some good vibes from this place.

“I’ve been working on a few things recently. I’m always experimenting when things aren’t working and I need tournaments to find my form. The back nine last week (at the English Senior Open) I was trying something which felt really good. Now, I’ve no idea if it is going to work this week, but I have a clear picture of what I’m going to try and hopefully this is a good week for me.

“Coming back to a course where you have done well before always helps. This is a good driver’s course too, and that is my strength. I’m a straight driver, but on some courses you don’t get the reward for it. On this course you do. If my driving holds up, which it normally does, and if I get something going with my irons, which I think I have, then it might be a good week.”

The Travis Perkins Masters always attracts one of the biggest crowds of the Senior Tour season, and Smyth hopes that can also help inspire him to a good performance this week as he tries to regain the title, after watching Colin Montgomerie succeed him as champion 12 months ago.

“This is our best tournament outside the Senior Open,” he said. “We get over 20,000 people here and you get all the best players. It’s great having Monty back defending his title and it is great to see Eduardo Romero playing here as well. There is a good atmosphere and it is a great tournament, so I hope it has the right effect on me.”

7/26/2014

Rafferty and Walton Make Cut

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Ronan Rafferty and Philip Walton made the halfway cut in the Seniors Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl ion Friday, trailing runaway leader, Bernhard Langer.

Langer added a 66 stroke card to his opening 65 for an 11 under par total of 131 to move seven clear of Chris Williams and Colin Montgomerie, who produced a stunning 66 for 138, carding eight birdies.

“I played very smart, very aggressive, then very smart and I was fortunate to some extent, but I have played very well the last two days,” Langer said afterwards.

“It wasn’t the kind of start I wanted today, but from that point on, I settled down and I played some really good golf.

Opportunities

“I missed a couple of opportunities earlier on, but then I started to play a little better as well and brought it home to the clubhouse with six-under-par from that point on, which I’m very pleased with overall.”

Rafferty, in his first year as a senior and only a part-time competitor golfer these days, posted a second round two over par 73 for a 36-hole total of 148-six over par, just one stroke inside the cut.

“I have not been playing much lately so my main aim was to make the cut, ” said Rafferty, who played at Porthcawl in the 1980 amateur championship and home internationals before turning professional and competing in the Coral Classic on the South Wales links.

Philip Walton, who threatened to challenge for the lead for a time on Thursday but finished with a one-over-par 72, just survived the cut following a 77 for 149.

Having started with a triple bogey seven and the 1995 Ryder cup winner never recovered although a birdie four at the last saved him from elimination.

“It was tough out there today but no excuses, I played badly,” said Walton.

Des Smyth was disappointed with 79 to go out of the tournament on 151 after starting with four straight bogeys.

Mark McNulty also missed out along with Denis O’Sullivan.

7/24/2014

Rafferty Relishes Porthcawl

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Ronan Rafferty has relished the opportunity of turning out in his first British Senior Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl on the South Wales coast today ever since his 50th birthday back in January.

And Rafferty, from Warrenpoint, Co Down, who retired from the European Tour in 2003 is particularly delighted to be at Porthcawl as he has played the course overlooking the Bristol Channel more times than most of those in the field.

He competed here in the 1980 Amateur Championship, played in Coral Classics in the early 80s and represented Ireland in Home Internationals at Porthcawl.

“It is a stunning course to look at and equally great to play. I am raring to go although year one in the Seniors is a case of learning the ropes again,” said Rafferty, who topped the European Tour Order of Merit in 1989.

“I love links golf – I won the Irish amateur at Royal County Down and am now an honorary member of that great club.”

He was something of a teenage prodigy – winning the British Boys title at 15 and playing in the Walker Cup at 17.

Rafferty goes out last in the first round with American Olin Browne and former Ryder Cup captain Mark James.

Des Smyth, one of this year’s Ryder Cup vice-captains, is in the field and goes out today with American Gary Hallberg and Carl Mason. Smyth won the Madeira Island Open in 2001 at the age of 48 and could still pose a real threat.

Philip Walton and Dennis O’Sullivan are two other Irishmen in the line-up.

It is thought to be the strongest field ever assembled for this tournament. Mark Wiebedefends the title he won at Royal Birkdale. Bernhard Langer, who lost to him in a play-off, is in fine form and must be ranked as one of the favourites.

The legendary Tom Watson, Miguel Angel Jiminez, Colin Montgomerie and Wales’s ownIan Woosnam are all included in a star-studded line-up.

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