Quinn and Walton aim to bag birdies

FORMER Ireland striker Niall Quinn, now living in Co Kildare, may have a central role to play in the Smurfit European Open beginning at The K-Club tomorrow!

A more than useful ten handicapper, Quinn is on the bag of Ireland’s Philip Walton and the pair are quietly confident of a productive four days.

David Noble, well-known to scores of Munster rugby fans as McScrum, the man who sells red and white favours at home and all over Europe at Heineken Cup time, is Walton’s usual caddy but must take a secondary role on this occasion.

Play tomorrow begins at 7.30am and among those off the 10th tee early in the proceedings are Irish favourite Padraig Harrington with Philip Golding, winner of the French Open at the weekend, and his Ryder Cup teammate Thomas Bjorn.

They start at 8.10 and are immediately followed by Colin Montgomerie, seeking his first victory in the championship; Nick Faldo and the long hitting Argentinian Angel Cabrera.

Three former winners, Ian Woosnam, Mathias Gronberg and Lee Westwood are paired at 8.40am.

Stephen Leaney, the Australian who emerged so impressively from the shadows by finishing second to Jim Furyk in the recent US Open, forms the chief afternoon attraction in a threeball completed by

the 2001 winner Darren Clarke and Bernhard Langer.

The latter will forever be remembered here for the monster eagle putt he holed on the 72nd on the way to winning the first European Open at The K-Club in 1995.

They are off at 12.55, 20 minutes ahead of defending champion Michael Campbell, 2001 US Open champion Retief Goosen and the constantly improving Englishman Justin Rose.