John Daniel Guiney is a name familiar to golf fans in his native Kerry.

One of the richest tournaments on the European Tour schedule, the $5m (€3.7m) Dunhill Links, is on this week over three outstanding links courses on the east coast of Scotland — but just three members of the 2012 European Ryder Cup team are competing.

“It wasn’t the best year for me at the majors but there is always next year. I feel progress has been good. I have been hitting the ball well and playing well. I hope there will be more positives by the end of the season.”

Paul McGinley continues to make it clear that he will be his own man when attempting to mastermind Europe’s Ryder Cup defence at Gleneagles next year.

The days when membership of the European Tour was considered a gateway to riches and a luxurious lifestyle would appear to be a thing of the past judging by the lack of activity at a time of year when it should be at its busiest.

The notes of nostalgia were only too apparent over the past few days as the Lahinch traditionalists informed you that “the South of Ireland is nothing like it used to be”.

Shades of Lazarus!

ON August 15, 1983, the great Seve Ballesteros struck a magnificent tee shot at the 11th hole of Cork Golf Club which still resonates with all at Little Island.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON insists the Irish Open is still his “fifth major” and Graeme McDowell stresses it is “on my golfing bucket list” but Rory McIlroy doesn’t seem quite so sure.

This country has produced many of the game’s finest but for reasons not always easy to fathom, their record at the Irish Open is a long way short of what might have been expected.