Exertions from US Open now taking their toll

As with all great sporting events, the anticipation often surpasses the reality.

The stage had been set at Fota Island for the Irish players to deliver from the off yesterday but instead of announcing their intentions with a bang, it proved to be more of a whimper. There were no roars from across the course from the partisan crowds and no frenetic movements of traffic to follow an Irishman charging up the leaderboard.

It’s early days, of course, but already we are fretting if the Irish Open’s greatest asset, our own Rory McIlroy, will even make the cut.

It’s never easy to criticise your own, especially at an Irish Open, so I won’t. That said, our leading lights looked visibly tired and mentally shot after their ordeals at the US Open last week, so great credit must be shown to them for honouring their continuous commitment to the Irish Open at all.

From the off yesterday, McIlroy struggled with his finesse shots, the distance controlled wedges, the chipping as well as the putting. His game was loose and in breezy conditions he seemed to struggle with any sort of game management. To his eternal credit, he did keep going and a birdie on the final hole may just be the difference between him staying around for the weekend come Friday evening.

No doubt he will be disappointed with himself, and has offered no excuses, but expect him to redouble his efforts.

Graeme McDowell also struggled yesterday, but showed far greater urgency and determination on the course, capitalising on some great play over the final holes to post a very respectable 69. On tough days like yesterday, attitude and more importantly a silky putting stroke count, and one now hopes that with rest, McDowell will only get fresher and stronger. Let’s hope his game responds in kind.

As for the other Irish, Hoey once again went about his three under par 68 in a stealth-like fashion. For most Irish people he’s almost Mr Anonymous and that does this great player and winner of five European Tour titles a huge disservice. Harrington and Lawrie showed glimpses of better days and the amateurs performed with distinction but it seems that the barometer in this event is only going to rise if the Irish can sustain a mounted charge over the next three days.

I thought the course played fair, despite the rough being tough. The additional length added to the par five holes made a difference but in truth, it seemed that the greatest frustration the players experienced were how to judge the swirling winds into the elevated greens.

Time and time again, shots were going over the green or coming up considerably short of their intended target and while the putting surfaces were pure and faultless, reading them seemed to pose major problems, with the majority over-reading the lines.

Over the coming days you can expect the players to sort these issues out and I fully expect that the scoring will get progressively better as the week progresses.

Already we can see pedigree on top of the leaderboard. Mikko Ilonen, Robert Karlsson, Marcel Siem and Anders Hansen are proven winners so the Irish players will have to work hard just to stay in touch.

To be more competitive, they now need to play to their strengths while also throwing away their conservative shackles. Yesterday many of them looked edgy and tight and I fully expect that to change now that they have got the first round out of the way.

Controlled aggression off the tee box is an asset on this course, especially if you have the length to take advantage but it’s the precision of the approach shots as well as the putting that truly counts.

Yesterday’s 64 from Ilonen represented a great template for the players in that he was two under for the par threes and the par fives played and three under par for the par fours. His round represented a sound strategy which had no let up and with warm conditions forecast for the rest of the week, the Irish players now have to rise to the occasion. If they can do that then they will also arouse a sleeping giant: their supporters, the gallery.