McGinley in 2010
This week the European Tour arrives to Killarney for the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland, in an event which will see a number of major winners participate, in what will be the first official celebration for the Irish fans of the achievements of Rory McIroy at Congressional - and Darren Clarke at Royal St. George.
A year ago it was another Portrush golfer, Graeme McDowell who arrived to play the Killeen Course as the first European winner of the US Open in four decades, having seen off the challenge of Dustin Johnson at Pebble Beach. Only twelve months ago that was viewed as the pinnacle for Irish golf, and the best follow-up to Harrington's three major wins in 2007 and 2008.
Up until then Irish golfers had been limited to playing - albeit vital roles - in Ryder Cups with Eamon Darcy at Muirfield Village in 1987, Christy O'Connor Jnr in 1989 at The Belfry, Philip Walton in 1995 at Oakhill, Paul McGinley at The Belfry in 2002, and Graeme McDowell joining the club in 2010 at Celtic Manor.
The past few seasons have seen an amazing progression of some of those same players up the world golf rankings.
Indeed, it was Padraig's win at Carnoustie in The Open Championship four years ago that brought belief back to Irish golf and closed that link with Fred Daly's major win at Hoylake in 1947. When Harrington repeated the win at Royal Birkdale the following year, and added the USPGA Championship the same summer, it changed the horizons for those who were coming after him.
To be fair, Harrington started his run at Adare Manor in 2007, when he beat Bradley Dredg in a play-off to bridge a gap of twenty-five years since John O'Leary had last seen the national open won by an Irish man - back in 1982. Until Harrington's victory the Irish Open title had eluded the nations best players and seemed to become a burden for many as the years wore on.
Philip Walton came very close in 1989 when he took Ian Woosnam to play-off at Portmarnock, playing the best golf of his career, only to lose out in the end. In recalling those days Woosnam is still amazed he won because the large crowd were so behind Walton he was not sure it was meant to be his day that August Sunday.
In the end it was, with Walton then going on to secure his first European Tour win at the Peugeot Open de France the follwing year.
Darren Clarke was in the frame in 2003 at the Nissan Irish Open at Carton House until the weather stopped play on the Sunday, with Clarke electing to voluntarily play en extra shot when he found he was benefiting from a more favourable lie when play recommenced on the Monday.
In terms of Irish winners it was Christy O’Connor who set the standard when he held off all comers in the first Carrolls Irish Open in 1975 at Woodbrook Golf Club. The only other players to match that achievement have been Harrington and then Shane Lowry in 2009 at the County Louth Club.
The win by Lowry was remarkable on a number of fronts, not least being the weather on the final day in Baltray when he reached a play off with Robert Rock, doing so while still in the amateur ranks. Admittedly Lowry won at the third time of asking on the long 18th after the pair had played it three times, a reprieve for the Offaly golfer given he had missed a three-footer in normal play.
Buoyed by the feats of Rory and Darren this week twenty-two Irish golfers will tee off on Thursday hoping to relive Shane Lowry's dream, with another group of aspiring players keen to get the flavour of European Tour action.
Amongst them is US based Waterville native, Mark Murphy, who has battled with the PGA Tour qualifying school unsuccessfully in recent years, and he will be delighted to make his way around the Killarney lakes course.
He will be joined by eight players from the 2010 Irish PGA Region order of merit who take up their automatic invitations. That group includes former European Tour card holder David Higgins, and Stage 3 Q School qualifier last year, Damien Mooney.
The six others include John G Kelly, Barrie Trainor, Darren McWilliams, David Mortimer, Michael Collins and Eamon Brady. So far this event always proves too big a step from the day job for the PGA players, even with the cut last year at level par. In fact, only Trainor made it through to the weekend with all the rest finding the course set up very challenging.
Of the tournament invites it is a chance for Simon Thornton to test himself on the bigger stage once again, having lost his card after his first season on the European Tour. Alongside him will be another casualty of last year, Gary Murphy, who arrives in Killarney on the back of an indifferent season so far and few starts on the Asia One Tour.
The regular Challenge Tour players include Niall Kearney, who gets another main tour start this week. As does Athlone’s, Colm Moriarty.
The remaining Irish Tour card holders are also in action and include Michael Hoey, Gareth Maybin, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane and Paul McGinley.
Although still suffering knee trouble, and deferring another operation until the end of the season, McGinley has shown some good form of late and completed the reduced Barclays Scottish Open with rounds of 69-69-66 to secure 14th place.
Given the current momentum in Irish golf, who is to say that the McGinley will not become the fourth domestic name on the Irish Open trophy.
Why not another fairy-tale finish?
