Clarke: Why no Irish winner of the national Open since 1982?

IN Ireland, we wonder annually why one of our own can’t win the national Open and bridge the gap since John O’Leary’s heroics at Portmarnock in 1982.

Now the debate is getting under way as to whether it will be just as long before a European captures the Open Championship.

Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke finished in style at Troon on Sunday with closing respective rounds of 67 and 68. Sadly it was no more than too little, too late as Paul Lawrie, the shock 1999 champion at Carnoustie, remains the last European winner of any major.

Now the Tour moves to Baltray staging the Nissan Irish Open for the first time. Excitement is running high in the Co Louth area and big crowds are expected to see New Zealander Michael Campbell bid to retain his title and win in this country for the third successive year.

As always leading the home resistance are Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell. They and their compatriots have a big onus on their shoulders given the 22-year hiatus since O’Leary’s victory.

Of them all, Clarke seems to have the best credentials given that he has won the Irish Close and East of Ireland Championships at this venue.

“I have J.P. Fitzgerald back on the bag this week by an agreement we made when going our separate ways in the middle of the year,” said Clarke. “We remain good friends. He’s a member of the club and knows the course very well. I’ve really worked hard on my short game, so hopefully it will pay off. Why no Irish winner since 1982? We’ve had a lot of great players and a few of them will be up there again this week. I just hope I can give the people who support me something to cheer about.

“After the majors and the world championships, it’s the one event I’d love to win. The European Open was right up there. I’ve done that and now I’d love this one.”

And he is fulsome in his praise for the Co Louth course. “I have nothing but great memories of Baltray from the amateur days,” he added. “They were always very friendly to me. I stayed with the Morgans when I played there and the late Fred Morgan was always very good to me. The golf course is terrific and I know it’s going to be a great venue this week.”

However, his memories of past glories here are rather shady: “Honestly, I can’t recall beating Padraig in the Close final or anything about the East. What I know for sure is that it’s a terrific links with some great holes.”

Baltray boasts an exciting field. Veterans like Sandy Lyle and Nick Faldo, stars of the present like Ben Curtis, Thomas Levet, Jesper Parnevik, Luke Donald, Trevor Immelman, Ricky Barnes, Ian Poulter, Phillip Price along with Miguel-Angel Jimenez are all competing.

Amateurs, Mark Campbell, the current East of Ireland champion; Welshman Craig Smith, winner of the Irish Amateur Open and James Heath, rated a certain star of the future and a protege of Faldo, are also among the field.