A long-time friend of Irish golf is set to make a competitive return, after a lapse of 27 years. Tom Watson will be the top attraction when the £500,000 Senior British Open is staged at Royal Co Down on July 25th-28th.

The championship will also mark the return of twice former winner Christy O'Connor Jnr, who missed last year's event because of a broken left leg. O'Connor, currently competing in the US, is also returning to the AIB Irish Seniors Open at Adare Manor later this month.

When Watson arrives at Royal Co Down, he will notice a familiar picture on the wall of the stairway up to the diningroom. In it, he is pictured with his friend and mentor, Byron Nelson, during their visit in July 1989, prior to the British Open at Royal Troon.

Since then, he has joined senior ranks in the US, where he captured the Senior PGA Championship last year. And, of course, he has officiated as the Millennium captain at Ballybunion GC, where he has been a regular visitor since first playing there in 1981.

Watson's only competitive appearance here was in the revived Irish Open at Woodbrook in 1975 when he was tied 13th, 10 strokes behind the winner, O'Connor Jnr. Only a month previously, the American had won the first of five British Open titles, beating Jack Newton in a play-off at Carnoustie.

When asked how he felt the Irish Open might be improved, he recommended to the sponsors that they move the event to one of the country's premier links courses, Portmarnock. Links golf has always been close to his heart, which makes his Senior British Open debut all the more appealing.

"It is exciting to see someone of Tom's status in the game coming to Ireland to play at Royal Co Down," said Andy Stubbs, managing director of the European Seniors Tour at the club yesterday.

"He has always appreciated the finer points of links golf and is certain to enjoy the wonderful examination that this great course will present."

Watson will notice changes from 1989. Not only has the long 18th been radically restructured: the club are currently engaged in a whin clearance programme.

Otherwise known as gorse, this plant can look absolutely delightful in summer sunshine, but the club point out that it is essentially a weed which can have a very damaging effect on heather. So, they are slashing it right back from the fairways.

Meanwhile, the organisers of this event, sponsored by MasterCard, are hopeful of other big names for the third staging at Royal Co Down, which played host to Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player - the so-called Big Three - last year.

Nicklaus, who finished third on that occasion behind Australia's Ian Stanley, has deferred a decision on a return because of back problems.

Even at 66, however, the indefatigable Player is almost certain to be seeking another victory in an event which he won for a third time at Royal Portrush in 1997. And the organisers have not ruled out another appearance by Palmer.

Last year, Stanley beat Bob Charles in a sudden-death play-off for the title.

Watson, who will be 53 on September 4th, won eight major championships and a total of 34 events on the USPGA Tour before joining senior ranks in 1999. Since then, he has had three senior wins - the 1999 Bank One Championship, the Senior Tour Championship in 2000 and the Senior PGA Championship last year.

Calls for a new governing body in golf have been rejected by the Royal and Ancient Club and the United States Golf Association.