An Irish climax would have put the tin hat on it

The 97,000 fans who thronged the magnificent Fota Island Resort over the last four days had it all. The weather, the big names, the course looking better than an airbrushed postcard.

However, if there was one thing missing, it was the absence of a serious Irish challenge as the championship entered its business end yesterday. Graeme McDowell had just three-putted the 15th from 60 feet to fall four off the pace and Pádraig Harrington, who had looked so promising after 36 holes, had gradually fallen by the wayside as the weekend progressed

It might be overstating things to suggest the atmosphere felt a little flat but the ringing cheers that had greeted the putts holed earlier in the week by McDowell, Harrington and even the disappointing Rory McIlroy were conspicuous for the most part by their absence. To be fair, the masses surrounding the imposing 18th green paid Mikko Ilonen — the epitome of Finnish poise until suffering a few nervous moments en route to a six at the 18th — due tribute, but it was nothing to what would have been witnessed and heard had it been either of the Irishman in that coveted position.