Irish SeniorsTo be sure, this parcel of golfing terrain down by the river Lee in God's country is truly blessed. Whenever the high rollers of the European Tour ride into town, regardless of their vintage, the sun shines and the golf is played in shirt sleeves so that sun block rather than waterproofs is the most important accessory in a golfer's bag.
And so it proved to be in yesterday's first round of the €420,000 AIB Irish Seniors Open at sun-kissed Fota Island, where an interesting group of would-be champions - comprising players from three different continents, among them a major winner on the Champions Tour - assumed a share of the lead after opening rounds of four-under-par 67s.
Scotland's John Chillas, Australian Stewart Ginn, a golfing globetrotter who reckons he has filled out over 20 passports in a career highlighted by his Seniors Players' Championship success in America in 2002 and yesterday celebrating his 57th birthday, and South African Bobby Lincoln shared the first round lead, but nobody needed to tell them of the ominous presence of some heavy hitters, including Sam Torrance, who eagled the last from 35 feet for a 70.
On home turf, Denis O'Sullivan, who has delayed knee surgery until next week in order to play here, led the Irish challenge.
Although he acknowledged the cartilage injury caused him to "flinch" a couple of times towards the end of his round, O'Sullivan compiled a tidy 69 that left him only two adrift of the pacesetters, while Eamonn Darcy - bad back and all - and Jimmy Heggarty, whose first act playing on the Seniors Tour was to hit a seven-iron approach to two feet for birdie on the first, both signed for 70s.
"I'm playing well and I like this place," remarked O'Sullivan, who denied there was an added degree of pressure in playing in front of such large, enthusiastic galleries.
"They're my friends, why should I feel pressure?" wondered the Corkman, who reached the turn in one-under, thanks to birdies at the fourth and ninth, where he hit an eight-iron approach to 20 feet, and a bogey on the eighth when his drive found a bunker.
He moved to two-under with another birdie on the 10th, but that was to be his last as chances at the 14th, 15th and 17th all went a begging.
Two weeks ago in the Italian Seniors, Darcy finished runner-up to Torrance, last year's Order of Merit winner. He'd relish another head-to-head in tomorrow's final round. Yesterday, both signed for 70s; but the rounds were compiled in completely different ways by the two former Ryder Cup team-mates.
Torrance had a few blips mid-round that included a three-putt bogey on the ninth and a double-bogey on the 11th when he put his tee-shot into the water and which left him "dejected". But he finished in style.
On the 18th, a par five of 479 yards where the drive down a tunnel of trees is critical, Torrance hit a huge tee-shot that left him with only a six-iron approach to 35 feet, which he holed for an eagle.
Darcy only managed a par on the last, having played his approach just short of the green, and suffered a bogey on the short 17th where he three-putted from just off the green.
"Disappointing," is how Darcy considered the finish to a round that had promised much, with birdies on the homeward run at the 11th and 13th, where he holed from 20 and 30 feet respectively.
It was just as well those putts sank for Darcy, as he was irritated by an incident on the par-five 10th when a mobile phone rang just as he prepared to play his approach to a green surrounded by water. Having waited for the phone to stop ringing, Darcy went through his routine again and was preparing again to hit the shot when, incredibly, the phone started to ring again.
"I was steaming," said Darcy, who hit his approach right of the green and needed three to get down.
Darcy claimed that his back was "sore" after his round, but that is an ailment he has become accustomed to throughout his career.
"Bad backs are not like fine wine, they don't get better with age," he conceded.
Hopefully, it'll stay pain free to allow another title challenge over the weekend.
