Drama of US triumph remembered

MEMORIES OF a particularly significant Irish Open, were prompted by the telecast from Olympia Fields last weekend. There was Hubert Green, 20 years older but retaining the familiarly wristy, whiplash swing and idiosyncratic putting style, as he challenged in his first US Senior Open.

As it happens, the 50-year-old Alabaman holds the unique distinction of having won the US Open and the Irish Open in the same year. But none of us at Portmarnock in late August 1977, could have appreciated the intense drama of his triumph at Southern Hills, two months previously.

Leaving the 14th green in the final round, a stroke clear of a resurgent David Graham, Green was approached by Harry Easterly and Sandy Tatum of the USGA and a person the player didn't recognise. The third man happened to be a Tulsa police lieutenant.

Green was called aside and informed that a threat had been made on his life. In a frantic call to the FBI, a woman had warned that three men were about to kill him. It meant that the player was effectively presented with three options - to ask for a suspension of play, to withdraw or to play on.

He chose to play on, joking to officials that the threat was probably from an old girlfriend. With Graham safely in the clubhouse on 279, Green needed four pars to win. As it happened, a birdie at the 16th permitted him the luxury of a bogey at the last. But he still had to sink a four-foot putt for the title.

Afterwards, Green admitted he had been concerned that nobody should have got close to him. "I'm just glad it's over," he said. "It's nice being the champion."

Officials at Portmarnock clearly shared that view when he honoured a commitment to challenge compatriot Ben Crenshaw, the defending champion. But there was no indication of a two-way American battle for the title when the then Rhodesian, Simon Hobday, chipped into the 18th hole for the first round lead on 67.

As the championship progressed, however, it would become remarkable for the performance of Ireland's Jimmy Kinsella, who was taking special medication for an irregular heartbeat, while challenging at the top of the leaderboard. In the event, Green led at the halfway stage on 139 with Kinsella only a shot behind, in the company of a promising young Australian named Greg Norman.

Only two strokes covered the top six players entering the final round. Kinsella was among them but by the time the climactic stage was reached, the American duo confirmed most predictions by being tied at the top of leaderboard. Indeed a play-off seemed certain but Green broke the deadlock at the final hole.

Crouching over the ball like a spider, he stroked a nine-foot putt unerringly into the cup: the title was his. Green finished fifth in defence of the title the following year and his only other Irish Open appearance was in 1980 when he was third behind Mark James.

The Daily Mail photographer, Dave Shopland was hoping to maintain his well-nourished look, while working this week at Druids Glen. So, he looked forward to starting each day with a hearty Irish breakfast.

As visitors to the Irish Open have discovered, however, accommodation in the area is no easily come by.

Which led Dave's office to book him into the Powerscourt Springs Health Farm, where he was quite pleased to note a preponderance of women about the guests.

But breakfast was a rather different matter. "Instead of bacon, egg, sausage and whatever, I was presented with orange juice, bran and fruit salad", he moaned. Perhaps his office are trying to tell him something.

TOM WATSON talked this week about his love-affair with Irish golf, preparatory to a return to this country for a Shell Wonderful World of Golf match against Fred Couples at Mount Juliet a week tomorrow (July 13th). "It takes little to tempt me back, so the prospect of playing the Jack Nicklaus- designed course certainly excites me," he said.

Against that background, it is somewhat surprising that Watson has made only one competitive visit to this country. That was in the revived Irish Open at Woodbrook, a month after his first British Open triumph at Carnoustie in 1975.

IN the wake of the European amateur Championship, Keith Nolan paid a visit to Druids Glen last Tuesday to watch some of the competitors in practice. On seeing Seve Ballesteros on the 10th tee, he approached him for his autograph.

Nolan then told Ballesteros about the Europeans; about Ireland's semi- final defeat by Spain and of how well he knew the rising star, Sergio Garcia. Then, on the basis that you never know when an introduction might come in handy, he gently informed the Ryder Cup skipper of his own involvement in the proceedings.

IT'S the sort of story he'll one day be telling his grand-children. Meanwhile, Brian Murphy has gained front-page prominence in the current issue of "Milltown GC News" - as a recent fourball opponent to Tiger Woods. And the venue happened to be Isleworth, where Woods scored a stunning 59 on the week prior to his US Masters triumph.

Through some corporate arrangement, Murphy landed the golf date, which was to be organized by IMG, which handles Woods's affairs. "On hearing about it, a friend of mine in England, Michael, asked if he could go along as a caddie for Tiger," said Murphy. "I agreed."

As it happened, the game took place on Tiger's home course on May 5th. "Two other equally nervous guys were involved and the match was George from New York and myself against John from St Louis and Tiger," he added. But Michael also got in on the act.

This happened on the last par five of the course where Tiger's buggy threatened to conk out, prompting him to return to the clubhouse for a replacement. Woods had already reached the green with a drive and short iron and in his absence, Michael grasped his moment of glory: it would take the eagle putt.

Suffice to say that the pace of the green confused him somewhat. "A first putt which came up short was followed by an equally bad second putt," said Murphy. "But we gave him a par while he was still 10 feet from the hole."

Woods re-joined them on the next hole. "Well Michael..." he inquired. "An eight," came the lighthearted reply. Whereupon Woods threw down his ball in mock disgust and flatly rejected any advice proferred by his faithful caddie from there on. "Tiger, who shot 72, signed my card for an 88," the Milltown man concluded. "But I don't think either of us where trying."

TEASER: It seems there was quite a rules wrangle at Delgany GC recently over the consequences of using a tee as a ball marker. As it happens, the situation is covered by Decision 20-1/17 which poses the conundrum: In a match, B used a wooden tee to mark the position of his ball. A's ball was deflected by the tee. What is the ruling?

ANSWER: The tee was not B's equipment. There is no penalty. A must play his ball as it lies. A should have requested B to move the tee one or more clubhead-lengths to the side or to mark the position of his ball with a ball-marker, a small coin or other similar object (Note under Rule 20-1).