Lawrie’s future looks assured

PETER LAWRIE’S share of second place in the Spanish Open at the weekend bumped him up to a career best 24th on the European Tour order of merit and virtually clinched his card for 2004.

Naturally, he was disappointed at failing at the second tie hole of the play-off against Englishman Kenneth Ferrie, but agreed that if offered the runner-up spot before the event began, he would have jumped at the chance.

The 29-year-old from Clondalkin now has 189,417 to his credit and another 30,000 between now and the end of the season would ensure his playing privileges for next year.

He is, of course, looking far beyond that level of ambition having proved to himself and the golfing world in Tenerife that he has both the golf game and the nerve to succeed at a high level.

He produced arguably the shot of the tournament, a six iron to a less than a yard for an eagle at the 72nd hole to get to 22 under par. That was subsequently equalled by Ferrie and the Swede Peter Hedblom and the Englishman duly went on to clinch the title with a birdie at the second tie hole.

“Winning the title would have changed my whole career but second is still very welcome,” said the pencil slim 11st, six foot tall Lawrie. “But this was the first time I found myself in a winning position on the regular tour and I feel I handled myself pretty well in all the circumstances.

“Winning the grand final on the Challenge Tour at the end of last year was a great confidence booster and hopefully the good showing in the Canaries will gradually lead to better things in the coming weeks and months. I will get into almost all of the big events including the Volvo PGA and probably even the very rich Dunhill Links towards the end of the season.”

Lawrie was the 1996 Irish Close champion and turned professional soon afterwards. He set himself a six year target to succeed on the professional scene, otherwise he would return to civilian life and cash in on the B Com degree he picked up when on a sports scholarship at UCD.

Such a move is now very much on the back burner as the likeable Dubliner goes in search of riches on the professional tours of the golfing world.

The big disappointment in the Canaries was Paul McGinley. Unaware, perhaps, that his beloved West Ham had, for the time being anyway, avoided relegation in the English Premiership on the same afternoon by beating Manchester City, he slipped away over the closing stretch when it looked as if he was the one with best credentials to take the title. He bogeyed three holes in a row when tied for the lead and eventually finished in a share of 10th.

The tour moves on to the Italian Open this week when Colin Montgomerie makes his first appearance of the season on the European Tour. Irish players involved are Philip Walton, Ronan Rafferty, Gary Murphy and Damien McGrane.

“They never come back” is an old boxing expression but Fred Couples proved it needn’t necessarily refer to golf when he captured his first title in five years in the Houston Classic at the weekend. He cried his eyes out at the finish and quipped: “It is always emotional when nice things happen to nice people. When I saw Peter Kostis of CBS coming, I just mumbled a couple of things, then basically I wanted to get out of there. I needed to regroup. Not winning in five years, not playing well in five years, I had a lot of people to thank but I didn’t get it out very well.”

On a more serious note, he admitted: “I never really thought I would win again. On the 18th (a water-strewn par four which he reached, enjoying a two shot lead), I didn’t know what to hit. I was afraid to ask my caddy for an iron although I’m sure half the world was saying hit an iron.

“But I wanted to go with a three wood and try to make a short swing and do all the things I’ve been working on, and I hit a good shot and made birdie.”

Pádraig Harrington remains the leading Irishman on the European circuit after the Spanish Open. He is in fourth place behind Ernie Els, Peter Lonard and Adam Scott with 354, 935 to his credit.

The other Irish positions are: 12th Darren Clarke 257, 206; 24th Peter Lawrie 189, 417; 30th Paul McGinley 152, 506; 93rd Gary Murphy 44, 986; 132nd Graeme McDowell 26, 800; 167th Damien McGrane 17, 654.

Meanwhile, Harrington remains 10th in the world rankings with Clarke 24th and McGinley 107th.