Ireland will have 27 competitors in the Murphy's Irish Open which starts at Druids Glen on Thursday. But they don't include Ronan Rafferty, who withdrew last weekend because of a recurrence of damage to his left thumb, which has created problems since the beginning of the year.
By any standards, however, it is a very strong field. And the victory by Sam Torrance in the French Open last Sunday provides a timely boost to a player who has been twice winner of the title - at Portmarnock in 1981 and at Mount Juliet in 1995.
Eight players will be in action who have won the title on a total of 16 occasions. They are: Nick Faldo (3), Seve Ballesteros (3), Colin Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam, Torrance and Mark James, two each, the 1990 champion Jose-Maria Olazabal and the inaugural winner, Christy O'Connor Jnr. In this context, Bernhard Langer, who won the title in 1984, 1987 and 1994 is a notable absentee.
The Irish challengers are: Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Philip Walton, O'Connor Jnr, Eamonn Darcy, Des Smyth, Raymond Burns, David Higgins, Francis Howley, Gary Murphy, Keith Nolan, Peter Lawrie, John McHenry, Leslie Walker, Damian Mooney, Johnny Young, Leslie Robinson, Geoff Loughrey, Damien McGrane, Robert Giles, Stephen Hamill, Jimmy Heggarty, Paul Russell and amateurs Noel Fox, Patrick Collier and Michael Hoey.
Nolan has returned from the US Tour to be in action at Druids Glen, but compatriot Richard Coughlan will be competing this week in the $2 million Greater Hartford Open. The Hartford lineup also includes Joe Durant, a surprise winner of the Western Open at Cog Hill on Sunday and the fifth, first-time winner on the USPGA Tour this year.
His victory was rendered all the more piquant by the fact that he happens to be a close friend of J P Hayes, winner of the Buick Classic two weeks ago. "We've been friends for a long time and I couldn't have been happier for him when he won at Westchester," said Durant.
It was a thoroughly impressive performance by Durant in a long-established event which also gave Tom Watson his breakthrough victory, in 1974. "I'm honoured to have won at a tournament which has such a wonderful tradition," he added. "I fell in love with the course last year, but I never imagined this would happen so soon."
The 34-year-old, who joined the main tour in 1993, jumped to prominence in the US Open at Olympic Club earlier this month when he shot a first round of 68 before eventually falling away to a share of 32nd place with Harrington, among others.
US Money List (all US): 1 David Duval $1,545,949; 2 Fred Couples $1,485,548; 3 Justin Leonard $1,230,307; 4 Jim Furyk $1,158,179; 5 Tiger Woods $1,152,292; 6 Lee Janzen $1,030,782; 7 Mark O'Meara $1,003,296; 8 John Huston $887,524; 9 Glen Day $870,562; 10 Mark Calcavecchia $863,679. Other placing: 116 Darren Clarke $121,628.
Claremorris will have the official opening next Sunday of a new, 18-hole course designed by Tom Craddock. It is the culmination of a major, £1 million development plan undertaken by the club in 1995 when they bought 60 acres adjacent to the existing course. All greens on the 6,740-yard stretch are sand-based and the overall condition of the course will be maintained to a high standard through a computerised irrigation system. And it's open for membership.
