Murphy wants more chances to make mark

All Mark Murphy wants is a chance and the way he opened his Irish Open yesterday, the US-based Waterville man may just get the big break he thought he had already been given.

A year ago the 34-year-old Challenge Tour veteran made a splash by winning the US Golf Channel’s reality golf competition Big Break Ireland, a success the Kerryman imagined would open the door to invitations to more prestigious tournaments in the United States and Europe.

It has not worked out that way, alas, but an opening three-under 69 at Royal Portrush yesterday gave him a shot at a finish that will earn tournament starts automatically.

“When I won this thing in America it gave me a second chance and I was told I might get some more tournaments in America — Nationwide, PGA or Challenge Tour — and on the European Tour and I’ve got nothing,” Murphy said. “That’s what’s disappointing. Please God this week I’ll play well and I won’t need any more invites. I’ll make my own way to next week and work on from there.

“If you’re going to make it in this game you have got to do it on your own and that’s something you have to learn when you’re younger rather than later.”

Murphy, who is based in New Orleans, believes the lack of regular tournament play is costing him shots when he does actually get to the first tee. “If I was playing week in, week out I would have turned that 69 into a 65,” he said of yesterday’s score.

“I hit in well enough to shoot a 65 today. I missed maybe four putts on the front nine from inside six feet.”

Meanwhile, Darren Clarke used the thunderstorm that brought proceedings to a halt for almost two hours to refocus, and get a round that was threatening to unravel back in shape.

Clarke had run up three bogeys from the 5th to stand two over when the heavens opened and the thunder rolled. When play eventually resumed, Clarke immediately got his game back on track and birdied three holes in a faultless back nine to sign for a one under par 71.

Clarke’s patience has frequently been the worst club in his bag but on this occasion there was no problem. This may have had something to do with playing in front of his home town supporters at Portrush as he enthused: “It’s a testament to the fans that they waited for us to get back out there. It’s wonderful to have a tournament of this stature at Royal Portrush, having a tournament sold-out is unheard of, especially in these tough economic times and is a wonderful effort by all concerned.”

Clarke is a strong advocate of bringing the Open Championship to Portrush but beyond stating that “this will be another step in the right direction”, he stressed that he “wouldn’t be foolish enough to try and put words in the mind of the R & A. They know what they are doing with the Open Championship.”

He called himself an “idiot” for the way he threw away the three shots on the outward nine but with some justification added that “to go back out there and get it under par was pretty good. I was hoping for better but it was not bad.”