The greatest of opportunities lost as the van Rooyen express derails

Eric Van Rooyen’s justified reputation as a rising talent in the professional game would have done little to prepare him for his final round at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open yesterday, writes John McHenry.

Although twice a winner at home on the Sunshine Tour and on the European Challenge Tour, that was B League stuff compared to one of Europe’s most prestigious tournaments. But such was his masterful 66 on Saturday to establish a four-shot lead that it appeared the stars were aligning nicely for him to win his first European Tour title.

When thinking about Van Rooyen on Saturday night, my mind went back to my own experience when sharing the 54-hole lead in the Irish Open in 1993 at Mount Juliet and 1998 in Druid’s Glen.