GOLF: Thomas Bjorn's face creased into a smile. The Dane would have to wait 16 holes to conjure a rejoinder. Keith Wood's primacy at his craft in world rugby would offer little succour, he would have thought, when the 12 handicapper faced an opening drive. Wood admitted to feeling nervous but produced a booming tee shot that skirted the left edge of the fairway before tumbling into the rough, a foot behind Bjorn's ball which had found sand.
Playing alongside Peter Davidson, David Adamson and Bjorn, Wood cut an ostensibly relaxed figure, the trials and tribulations of the recent two Test match tour to New Zealand gone, if not forgotten. The only discernible legacy was a strapping to his left hand.
With only the best nett score at each hole required, the format can be frustrating and unfulfilling when individual contributions are limited. Having blown away the cobwebs over the first couple of holes, Wood, enjoying the course for the first time, managed a par three on the third only to be upstaged by Bjorn's chip in birdie.
Like all occasional golfers he bemoaned the fact that he couldn't play more. The first indication of the power contained in his abbreviated swing was his drive on the sixth hole, which finished no more than five paces from the water that guards the front of the green: he began to get some zing into his Ping Eye 2's. It was fitting that his wife, Nicola, seven months pregnant with their first child, was greenside to witness his finest moment to date.
He compensated for a "wet" tee shot at the next by dropping under penalty and hitting a four iron to 25 feet. It was when he reached the 10th hole that Wood offered a glimpse of why he won't get many money matches off his present handicap.
He played the next five holes in regulation figures, demonstrating a delicate touch around the greens with a wedge. The highlights were a couple of three wood tee shots, on the 11th and 13th holes that left him no more than a short iron from the green.
Fatigue began to set-in, manifest in two visits to the Liffey on the 17th hole.
It was only then that Bjorn's beautifully droll "not your finest hour, Keith," managed verbal restitution for Wood's opening effort with the driver. The 18th definitely proved a bridge too far, a visit to the sand and the water, ensuring a premature retirement from hostilities.
The team finished a commendable 17th of the 53 that competed, upstaged by Sharon O'Brien, Karena O'Connor and Bruce Norton who, along with professional Arjun Atwal, won the first prize with a 13 under par, 59.
Among those who claimed prizes were Minster for Finance Charlie McCreevy playing with former British Open champion Paul Lawrie; Dermot Desmond, J P McManus and John Magnier alongside Malcolm MacKenzie and former Kerry All-Ireland winning full forward Eoin "The Bomber" Liston in the team led by former winner here Matthias Gronberg.
Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy, playing off a nine handicap, in the company of Welshman Philip Price enjoyed the golf, able to relax after the rigours of the recent World Cup in Japan and Korea.
Smurfit European Pro-Am Prize winners
59 A Atwal, S O'Brien, K O'Connor, B Norton (last three) £900Stg; A Forysth, E Rothwell, C McMenamin, T Shaw £900.
60 P O'Malley, J Nordlokken, E Hudson, D McKenna (last five) £650; J Hugo, S Wiklund, T Asehall, P O'Mahony £650.
61 P Lawrie, C McCreevy, D O'Rourke, J Creaney (last five) £400; P Harrington, T Gavin, C Mulqueen, D Ryan (last five) £400; G Owen, J George, P Robinson, B Vosilius £400.
62 B Langer, J Coleman, C Brownlee, J Gilmore (last four) £50; R Johnson, L Martinez, R King, B Cherrett (last four) £50; M MacKenzie, D Desmond, JP McManus, J Magnier (last five) £50; M Gronberg, J O'Grady, E Liston, G Kean 62, £50.
