Putter woes sees O'Connor jnr fall behind

Christy O’Connor Jnr's hopes of making an immediate imprint on the €330,000 AIB Irish Seniors Open at Adare Manor this afternoon were dashed as the 55-year-old three-putted on four occasions for a round of 75.

In his first outing of the season on the European Seniors tour, O’Connor used the infamous belly putter but to little effect, leaving him tied 39th and with a tough decision as to whether to switch to his regular putter for the remainder of the tournament.

“I was putting nicely with that little belly putter – particularly happy after yesterday, but four three putts is horrendous. You can’t do that, there is no excuse,” said the Galway man, “I will have a little go on the practice greens later with the short putter. It’s certainly an uphill battle now.”

Whether or not the current Adare touring professional chooses to persist with the putter that saw him victorious two years ago at the US Senior PGA Championship, he has a definite eight shots to make up on first round leader David Good of Australia.

Good, who hit 67, and second-placed Carl Mason of England, 68, both missed the cut at last week’s US Senior PGA event but showed good form on the Limerick course.

Good birdied the par five 18th and chipped with five others and just one dropped shot. “I have been knocking at the door this year on the European Seniors Tour. I have just got to find the finishing line in the next couple of days. I am playing well and I am putting well which you have got to do,” said 56-year-old Good.

Defending champion Noel Ratcliffe, also from Australia, carded a 70 with O’Connor joined by Limerick amateur Dermot W Morris and Kilrush’s Joe McDermott on 3 over.

Co. Down’s David Jones is one shot clear as the leading Irish player after a well-recovered 74.

AIB IRISH SENIORS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort

RESULTS: FIRST ROUND –

67 - David Good (Aus) 67

68 - Carl Mason (Eng) 68

69 - Nick Job (Eng) 69

70 - John Morgan (Eng), Noel Ratcliffe (Aus), Alan Tapie (USA), Seiji Ebihara (Jap), Delroy Cambridge (Jam) 71 - Pete Oakley (USA), Luis Carbonetti (Arg), Mike Miller (Sco)

Selected scores:

74 - David Jones (NI)

75 – Christy O’Connor Jnr (Ire), Dermot W Morris (Am) (Ire), Joe McDermott (Ire) 76 – Arthur Pierse (Am) (Ire), Denis O’Sullivan (Ire)

78 – Liam Higgins (Ire)

80 – John Curtis (Ire)

82 – Dr Arthur Spring (Ire)