Flashes of brilliance before fab four fall on blades

The Irish Open drew to a disappointing close yesterday — at least for those willing an Irishman to victory.

That’s not to say the Irish did not play well this week. Leading lights like Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy all played very well in bursts but, ultimately, all would have been extremely disappointed with their performances on a putting surface which yielded plenty of birdies.

Yesterday was meant to be Harrington’s day — victory would formally welcome him back as a major global force. His opening bogey lost him considerable ground to the field but worse still was his failure to capitalise on some wonderful approach play throughout his round.

Although naturally a very positive person, even his patience must have been tested as he continuously missed putts while all others around him were pouring them in from everywhere. Technically I saw nothing wrong with his putting stroke other than possibly his alignment as he consistently missed all his putts on the high side. Hopefully he will take away a lot of positives from the week, most notably the precision and control he is now demonstrating with all of his clubs. Much like Tiger Woods stuttering earlier this year when the finishing line was in sight, he must now stay committed to what he is doing. Hopefully the putts drop sooner than later as he still has the desire and temperament to be a leading light once again.

For McIlroy, it too was a case of what might have been. Though not as sharp as Harrington, he also suffered on the greens. At times last week there were signs that his long game is approaching his normal imperious standards, but with the British Open fast approaching, I still wonder if he has the complete artillery of shots necessary for the cut and thrust of championship links golf. Like Harrington, his putting remains a concern, consistently average incomparison to the world’s best players.

For first-time European Tour winner Jamie Donaldson this may well be the week that fully sets him on the road to becoming a top player. He has always been rated by his fellow pros as a great golfer, but until he officially crossed the winning line, doubts persisted as to whether he would ever realise his potential. That has now been put to bed and the manner and style of his victory suggests we may not be waiting much longer before we see him back in the winner’s enclosure.

If he was nervous starting out yesterday, you would not have known it. His game plan of hitting fairways off the tee yielded early birdies, but remarkably his demeanour never changed. He stayed focused and positive and that attitude, coupled with a silky putting stroke, meant that everyone else was trying unsuccessfully to play catch-up all day. In the end, his margin of victory was four shots, a handsome reward for the only man to post all four rounds in the 60s.

In terms of the tournament itself, Royal Portrush offered a very consistent and fair test for the golfers. The course was presented very well and the players especially enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere created by the large, knowledgeable galleries. For those competing in the British Open in a couple of weeks it served as a reminder of the patience and the shot-making skills that will be required if they are going to compete successfully.

For Royal Portrush, there are now undoubtedly calls for its consideration as a future British Open venue and I, for one, would endorse that call as I feel that it would be a just recognition by the Royal & Ancient of all the recent achievements of the golfers from the island of Ireland. For example, apart from Harrington and McIlroy, Royal Portrush members alone hold the British Open, British Amateur and the British Ladies’ Amateur crowns.

It also makes economic sense as some 200,000 people annually attend the British Open, while in excess of 100 million people watch it worldwide.

Just think of the benefits of that type of exposure for the whole island of Ireland. To that end I have no doubt that if the commitment and resolve of our own players to the cause is matched by the politicians and tourism authorities from both sides of the border, I don’t see any reason why a British Open in Northern Ireland can’t materialise in the next decade or so.