Golf/BMW Championship: A different kind of takeover was envisaged at the Wentworth club last year when Irish investors very nearly managed to purchase the club. That buyout ultimately didn't occur.
Yesterday, though, a definite green hue materialised over this leafy estate in Surrey's stockbroker belt as two Irishmen - Peter Lawrie and Graeme McDowell - and Jose-Filipe Lima, a Portuguese golfer who used to be French, shared the first-round lead in the €4 million BMW Championship.
On a day of some strange golfing deeds, with Ernie Els one of those to be tormented by the fast fairways and firm greens, the trio of Lawrie, McDowell and Lima demonstrated that patience is a virtue and accuracy critically important on this West Course to post opening rounds of five-under-par 67, to establish a precarious one-stroke lead over a chasing posse of eight players. In all, 55 players dipped under par.
The last time that two Irish players shared the first-round lead on the European Tour was, ironically enough, in this same event - when it was known as the PGA Championship - in 1997, when Darren Clarke and Eamonn Darcy shot 66s. Neither managed to go on to win, Clarke eventually finishing second to Ian Woosnam. And the only Irish player to actually lift the title was Harry Bradshaw, back in 1958. So, history is not on their side; but at least they've put themselves into position.
McDowell, especially, was relieved to finally rediscover the knack of scoring. Nowadays plying his trade on both sides of the Atlantic, and his season's highlight to date being a runners-up finish in the Bay Hill Invitational in March, the 25-year-old Northerner has endured a horrible time since resuming play in Europe.
McDowell has missed the cut in two of his last three events, the Italian Open and the Nissan Irish Open. "I've been playing good golf since the TPC (at Sawgrass) and the US Masters, (but) it's been a long time since I've done any real scoring.
"I think I've been pretty frustrated in general the last couple of months just because I know I'm playing well but missing cuts, which is never much fun. I know I'm a better player than that. You know, this game is all about fractions. It's about holing a putt here and there, and just sharpening up the wedge play," said McDowell.
Yesterday was one of those days when McDowell both played well and scored well. If the front nine was a roller-coaster of an eagle, a birdie and three bogeys, the homeward run produced five birdies and no dropped shots. Three of those birdies came on the final three holes: wedge to three feet on the 16th; wedge to four feet on the 17th; and wedge to eight feet on the 18th.
Easy game, really.
"I slipped back into some of my old habits with my golf swing over the past couple of months. It got progressively worse. I'm not sure if I got tired towards the long stretch (in America). But missing the cut in Italy was kind of my wake-up call and I said to myself, 'I have to do some serious work'. I feel like I've rededicated myself to my game again and to my fitness," said McDowell.
As if to underline that old adage of "beware the injured golfer," Lima - who joined McDowell and Lawrie in a share of the lead - woke up yesterday morning with a back pain and had to undergo intensive physiotherapy before his round.
"Scott Drummond won last year when he was a rookie. So, why not me this year?" said Lima, who recently changed nationality from French to Portuguese. Yet, the field is very much bunched up behind the three leaders.
Of the so-called "big guns", the one who struggled the most was Els. The world's number three had just one birdie - on the fourth hole - in his entire round, and eventually signed for a 73. At least his compatriot Retief Goosen handled the course considerably better, recovering from being two-over after seven holes to sign for a 70.
Overall, however, it proved to be a mostly rewarding opening round for the Irish contingent with Damien McGrane (69) Padraig Harrington (70) and Darren Clarke (71) all recording sub-par rounds and Paul McGinley - thanks to a birdie on the last - finishing on level-par.
Harrington felt that his problem was one of focus, in that he felt too good about his game going into the round. "It's only when I have my back to the wall that I hit better shots," he remarked. "I was far too casual, far too lackadaisical in my preparation on all of the straightforward, standard shots." This was exemplified by his play of the par five 18th.
Hitting a five-wood second shot, Harrington changed his mind on how to execute the shot on the top of his backswing. "I thought I might have been aiming a bit left . . . so I blocked it out to the right," he said. The result was that the ball clattered into the rhododendrons and he was forced to take a penalty drop for an unplayable lie. Yet, with his back to the wall, he contrived to chip and putt to save his par. "That was the only time I felt good all day," he said.
And, yet, his demeanour hinted at some element of satisfaction with his day's work. "Yes, I'm pleased that I'm just three shots back . . . it's not too far behind," remarked Harrington.
The three co-leaders are well aware of that. All they have to do is glance down the leaderboard to see how packed it is; there's a long way to go just yet in this old championship with a new name.
