Christy O'Connor Jnr claimed the unique distinction of becoming the first Irish winner of the British Senior Open at Royal Portrush yesterday. As a fresh, north-west breeze brushed the famous Dunluce links, he trod a path which was beyond even his illustrious uncle, by shooting a six-under-par aggregate of 282 for a three-stroke victory over South Africa's John Bland.

Bathed in bright sunshine, the 18th was flanked by 5,000 spectators as the Galwayman finished with a two-putt par. It was crafted with the sort of solid striking which had characterised his play in a five-birdie round of 69, bringing him a reward of Stg£63,330.

From off the front of the green, his first putt of 80 feet had just the right pace to take it to within 18 inches of the pin. And on completing the work, his right arm outstretched in triumph, acted as a signal to his family to advance onto the green and embrace him in a scene of high emotion.

Given the significance of this triumph, which guarantees him exempt status for next year's British Open at St Andrews, it seemed highly appropriate that it should have come in the company of Bob Charles and Gary Player as three-ball partners. As contemporaries, they had seen the great prize of the British Open denied Christy Senior: now they could acknowledge the overdue honour of a senior "major" to the O'Connor clan.

The point wasn't lost on Player. "You couldn't have had a better champion than someone from the O'Connor family," he said afterwards. "Senior was such a great player that it's wonderful to see Junior following his example by winning this great championship."

As it happened, Charles slipped from the overnight lead to an eventual share of fifth place. But it was very much less than he deserved in that he was within a stroke of O'Connor with only three holes to play. The New Zealander had the great misfortune, however, of collapsing to an eight at the last, where he was twice in rough and twice bunkered before, remarkably for him, suffering the indignity of missing a three-foot putt.

Indeed the celebrated lefthander putted poorly by his lofty standards, missing from four feet for a birdie at the short 11th; from the same distance for a par at the short 14th and again from four feet for a birdie at the next. And a five-foot birdie effort slipped past the target at the 17th.

Then there was his crippling triple-bogey six at the short third where, after pushing his tee-shot into a horrendous lie on the left, he needed three hacks to get it on the green. Typically, he never gave up the fight and was right back in contention after sinking a 15-footer for an eagle three at the 10th.

But O'Connor's victory was all the more creditable for the fact that after being six-over-par after the 13th hole of his opening round, he proceeded to cover the remaining 59 holes of the championship in 12 under. In the process, he putted beautifully, especially throughout the final round.

And apart from a pulled drive at the long second, where he was again in rough off his second and third to run up a bogey six, his driving was of a very high order. Indeed driving and putting were essentially the two great strengths of a game which was almost invariably tidy.

Meanwhile, the competitive qualities of his 63-year-old playing partners ensured that O'Connor was made to battle all the way. And further pressure stemmed from the second-last three-ball in which reigning AIB Irish Seniors Open champion, John Morgan, got within a stroke of the lead by reaching the turn in 35.

A more sustained challenge, however, came from 53-year-old Bland, whose pedigree was established in five tournament victories during his first two seasons on the US Tour. The South African recovered from a three-putt bogey at the second to sink birdie putts of 10 feet, eight feet and eight feet at the fifth, sixth and seventh to be three under for the tournament at that stage.

He then went four under with a two-putt birdie at the long 10th. But like many a previous challenger at Portrush, the stuffing was knocked out of him by the short 14th, better known as Calamity. Though O'Connor also had a bogey there, the South African's need was considerably greater.

Bland went on to card a two-putt birdie at the 17th but his hopes of forcing a play-off disappeared when he drove into rough on the way to a bogey at the last. "I love this course and I'm quite happy with the way I played, but I just couldn't get there," he said afterwards. "I just didn't make enough putts."

If there was one shot in the round which became critical in O'Connor's victory surge, it was from the back-left bunker at the short 11th. Expecting Charles to hole a five-foot birdie putt, O'Connor played a glorious recovery to within 18 inches of the pin. A miss by the New Zealander, followed by the Irishman's save, seemed to typify a fascinating day's play.