Contracts for the £100,000 Donegal Irish Women's Open had yet to be signed when East Clare GC staged a seniors event last month. But another remarkable response by a rural venue was evident here yesterday, as competitors finalised preparations in overcast but dry conditions.
"We went flat out to get things done," said Ballyliffin secretary Karl O'Doherty. "If the weather stays good, we expect big crowds, particularly from the North of Ireland." Either way, everything was in place to ensure a warm welcome for Laura Davies, winner of this title at St Margaret's in 1994 and 1995, who is returning to the event having missed last year's at Luttrellstown Castle.
"I want to support the tour and it's great to be back in Ireland where the people are so nice and the courses are so good," she said after yesterday's pre-tournament pro-am. "But this course is very tricky." This was a reference to the splendid Glashedy Links which was opened 12 months ago and has been reduced to 6,344 yards for the tournament.
When I asked Davies if she saw any resemblance between it and St Margaret's, which was also designed by Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock, she replied: "Not at all. One was wide-open and long while this is tight and short."
The 34-year-old Englishwoman went on: "It's a great course but it doesn't necessarily suit my game. One thing's for sure, it's going to get really tight if the wind blows." In the absence of any wind, however, she reduced the 488-yards 12th to a drive and four iron - "it should have been a five" - and the 542-yard 17th to a drive and a seven iron.
Her friend and foursomes partner, Alison Nicholas withdrew from the tournament so as to take a family holiday. "She has been ill all year (with viral pneumonia) and badly needed a break," said Davies of the 1996 champion. Another regrettable absentee is the holder, Patricia Meunier Lebouc.
All of this means that there are only two players in action, Davies and Sweden's Sophie Gustason, from the Solheim Cup team which was announced two weeks ago by Europe's non-playing captain, Pia Nilsson. In fact a particularly attractive three-ball in action at 9.30 a.m. this morning comprises Davies, Gustafson and former Solheim Cup representative, Lora Fairclough.
The field of 71 includes five Irish challengers - Lynn McCool, Barbara Hackett, Tracy Eakin, Dympna Keenan and Aideen Rogers. Rogers is the first of them into action at 8.50 a.m. in the company of former Curtis Cup player Lisa Educate and the former English amateur international, Emma Fields.
By her own high standards, Davies is having a rather quiet season, certainly compared with her 1995 performance at St Margarets, where she established a world record with a 25-under-par aggregate of 267. And her 16-stroke winning margin was a tour record.
"My form is the worst yet, in terms of satisfaction," she said. "At the beginning of the year I was putting badly, then I started to miss too many greens. But it's not always how well your hitting it. I just haven't scored well and that's been depressing."
On current European form, Gustafson represents the strongest challenge to Davies capturing her third Irish title. The 24-year-old Swede, who won the Swiss Open two years ago, is currently second to compatriot Helen Anfredsson in the Order of Merit.
Given the overall difficulty of the course, the fear is that some of the lesser gifted competitors could find themselves in serious trouble if the wind blows. Which explains Davies's rather modest prediction about the likely winning score. "Eight under should win," she said. "In fact it could win easily."
