Memorable for a collapse

THE day began and ended in silence. In early morning, with not a body in sight, the fairways of Augusta National were covered by a thick low-lying fog. By late afternoon the eerie silence had returned as thousands of spectators tried to comprehend the chilling drama of the finishing holes.

Whatever about the memorable triumphs in amateur and professional tournaments on either side of the Atlantic, 1996 will be remembered most for a spectacular failure. Nowhere in recent memory had there been such a stunning collapse as that by Greg Norman in the 60th US Masters.

It became so, not only because of the six-stroke lead that the Australian carried into the final round, but because of his acknowledged skill and experience at the highest level. And in victory, after a closing 67, Nick Faldo characterised the essence of sport when he grasped his shattered opponent and whispered consolingly: "Here, give me a hug."

Eight months on we are still wondering whether Norman can recover from such a crippling experience. Only last week he admitted: "It changed me in a dramatic way." After beginning the Masters with a 63, he finished it with a 78. Yet he insisted afterwards: "I'm not a loser, I just lost today."

For his part Faldo felt obliged to remind the media that he had needed a stunning final round to secure the title. "This course demands the highest degree of accuracy in the world, and as the week goes on the screws get tighter and tighter," he said. "I felt bad for Greg and at the end I just wanted to hug him."

Meanwhile, after a superb year for Irish professionals, we can see the prospect of renewed competitive interest in the US Masters in the not too distant future. After all, Paul McGinley, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, all tournament winners in 1996, are set to give the country an unprecedented representation in the US Open at Congressional next June.

A Scot, Colin Montgomerie, followed compatriot Sam Torrance as winner of the Murphy's Irish Open at Druids Glen. Indeed Montgomerie went on to complete a brilliant season, equalling the record of Peter Oosterhuis by taking the Order of Merit for a fourth successive year.

The amateur scene here at home was just as fascinating, for the contrast it produced in winning performances. While veterans Garth McGimpsey (West of Ireland) and Adrian Morrow (South of Ireland) were adding to their haul of provincial titles, fresh young talent was also very much in evidence.

Through his victory in the Irish Open Strokeplay Championship, Keith Nolan confirmed his status as a player of excellent potential. And the same was true of Peter Lawrie, who showed himself to be the best in the country, certainly for the month of August, when he won the Irish Close title at glorious Royal Co Down.

There was similar cause for optimism from the Irish women's scene. Indeed I was prompted to recall the surprise entry of a tall, slim 15-year-old in the British Women's Strokeplay Championship at Blairgowrie in 1986, when the title was captured by Claire Dowling (nee Hourihane).

Ten years on at Tramore, Barbara Hackett had clearly matured into an accomplished player as she challenged for the Irish Women's title last May. In an intriguing final, she overcame Lillian Behan, who was making a welcome return to the event.

Hackett went on to produce further exploits in the Weetabix British Open at Woburn, in which she became the first Irish player to capture the prize for leading amateur. More importantly, she provided optimism for the 1998 Curtis Cup team.

Even the wonderful leadership of Ita Butler couldn't quite compensate for the absence of a home player from the British and Irish side which retained the trophy at Killarney in June. Still, it was a wonderful and at times curious occasion, with Kelli Kuehne being omitted from the opening day's singles before heading on to Hoylake, where she added the British Women's title to her US crown.

Later in the summer Tiger Woods won the US Amateur title for a third successive year, and arguments raged whether he should be rated the best amateur of all time. Even the normally pragmatic Johnny Miller was persuaded to support this flawed thesis, at the expense of Bobby Jones who won 13 major titles.

Americans, desperately seeking a new hero, were clearly swayed by Woods's remarkable entry into professional ranks. Starting in August, he took the US tournament scene by storm, winning the Las Vegas Invitational on October 6th and the Walt Disney event two weeks later.

All the while the exploits of Ireland's tournament professionals were maintaining a welcome balance in our golfing diet. In May, after making nine successive cuts since the start of the season, Harrington surprised everybody, including himself, by winning the Spanish Open.

I won't realise for a while what this win can mean to me, but I know it will give me a lot of confidence," he said at the time. A measure of that confidence was the way he claimed places in the Alfred Dunhill Cup and World Cup teams; his finish in a share of 18th position behind Tom Lehman in the British Open and an end-of-year 11th place in the Order of Merit, with earnings of £285,023.

McGinley was four places further back. He had gained his long-awaited breakthrough by winning the Austrian Open with a superb last round of 62. And we could all sense his feelings of relief when he said afterwards: "I was so close, so often, I knew my time had come."

Then, to complete a memorable year, Clarke shot a final round of 63 to win the German Masters in Berlin, giving himself a priceless cushion with a birdie at the 71st. For a fourth successive year, he had become the leading Irish money-winner on Tour, with earnings of £329,795 for eighth in the Order of Merit.

Surely for him, a coveted place at Augusta must be getting closer.