Padraig Harrington will join an elite group on April 6th to 9th, by becoming only the ninth Irish player to compete in the US Masters. His invitation has been confirmed from Augusta National for being among the top-50 in the official world ranking at the end of December.
As it happened, the Dubliner was on the limit, in 50th position at that time, but has since moved out to 51st. However, he was there at the right time to join Darren Clarke in what has been the realisation of a major objective for 1999. In fact, this will be the first time that Ireland has had two players in the Augusta line-up.
The trail was blazed by Joe Carr in 1967, when he made the first of three successive Masters appearances, playing in all four rounds to finish 55th, a place below a promising young amateur by the name of Johnny Miller. Then, after his illustrious uncle had turned down several invitations, Christy O'Connor Jnr played in 1977, when he failed to make the cut.
Next came Garth McGimpsey, the 1985 British Amateur champion, who played in 1986 and 1987 when the reward was two invitations as opposed to the current one. Though McGimpsey twice missed the cut, he had the satisfaction of breaking 80 in all four of his competitive rounds.
As leader of the European Order of Merit for 1989, Ronan Rafferty was invited in 1990 and tied 14th, earning a return the following year when, unfortunately, he missed the cut. A top-10 finish behind John Daly in the 1991 USPGA Championship, earned David Feherty an invitation in 1992, when he got $3,550 for 52nd place.
Clarke was next to qualify, by finishing fourth in the 1997 European Order of Merit. And he made a splendid debut in 1998, coming away with a share of eighth place and all sorts of goodies. For instance, he picked up $89,600 in prize-money; a crystal vase for a 67 which was the lowest score in the third round and two pairs of crystal goblets for eagles at the long 13th and 15th holes during that round. But he missed the cut last April.
So, Harrington is set to add to an Irish contribution which has been significant, over a period of 33 years.
There are a total of 17 Europeans on the invitation list - Seve Ballesteros (champion, 1980 and 1983), Thomas Bjorn, Nick Faldo (champion, 1989, 1990 and 1996), Clarke, Sergio Garcia, Harrington, Gabriel Hjerstedt, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Bernhard Langer (champion, 1985 and 1993), Paul Lawrie, Sandy Lyle (champion, 1988), Jose-Maria Olazabal (champion, 1994, 1999), Jesper Parnevik, Graeme Storm (1999 British Amateur champion), Jean Van de Velde, Lee Westwood and Ian Woosnam (champion, 1991).
In their quaint way, the host club suggest that invitations "may also be issued" to the winner of the forthcoming Players' Championship; those who finish among the leading three on the 2000 USPGA Money List and those who finish in the top-50 of the world rankings, during the fourth week prior to the Masters.
There are six amateurs in a total of 99 players to receive invitations, 65 of them from the US. As it happens, the 34 "international" invitees are the most in the history of the tournament, eclipsing the previous highest of 29 in 1998 and last year. So, Augusta National chairman, Hootie Johnson, had good reason to comment: "We are well represented with very talented golfers from the US and around the world."
Greg Norman has been given a few early tee-off times in his career, but he will be only too happy to make a 6.15 p.m. appointment on Friday, September 15th this year. That is when he will collect the Olympic torch and run with it across Sydney Harbour Bridge.
