On the whole it has been a good final day for the early Irish starters in
the Smurfit European Open. As one veteran reflects on his last European Tour event in a 31-year career, another works out travel arrangements to next week’s Challenge Tour event in Finland.
Eamonn Darcy, 49, brought the curtain down on his illustrious career playing in Europe (which also included four Ryder Cups) with a final round 69 to finish one-over 289. It is fitting that the man from Delgany should play his last two events on Irish soil, last week he tied sixth in the Irish Open in Cork before closing this particular chapter of his life at a venue less than an hour away from his home here in Straffan.
‘The Darce’ will now focus his attentions on a career on the US Senior Tour when he turns 50 in August. Initial plans lie with his manager Chubby Chandler as he tries to get his new ‘senior’ several invites between now and November. Otherwise Darcy intends to attend the Senior Qualifying School in America with another Irish veteran Des Smyth when he also reaches the magic half century early next year.
"I haven’t thought about it yet, during the week I went home and I wasn’t in the best of form, I was trying to put my finger on it as to why, and now I think it was probably because it was my last tournament. I think it’s time to get out and leave it to the young fellas," said an emotional Darcy after his round.
"I’ve had a good run and it’s not as if I’m stopping, I’m looking forward to a new start and playing once again with a lot of my pals now."
Asked if he would consider playing in another Irish Open, the Druid’s Glen touring pro didn’t rule out the possibility. "Maybe if my game was still good enough, then it would be nice."
Moments after Darcy finished, Gary Murphy came off with a birdie at the last to close with a 70 and tied on the same aggregate as Darcy. The difference is, while Darcy thinks about a holiday with his wife next week, Murphy is looking ahead at travel arrangements to get to next week’s Challenge Tour event in Finland.
"It was a nice way to finish, I played particularly well today but like the whole week it could have been so much better," explained the 29-year-old who was grateful for the late sponsors invite. "I only got news that I was in the draw on Monday, fabulous news."
At present the Kilkennyman is tied for 30th place and would be worth just under euro30,000, a big cheque for the journeyman who is keen to pick up his challenge back on the Challenge Tour after missing the last four weeks.
Elsewhere, John Dwyer stuttered to a disappointing closure but the Ashbourne professional remained up beat after his K-Club experience. "It’s been a fantastic week and great to make my first European Open cut. Of course I’m a little disappointed with the last couple of days (77, 78 to finish 11-over 299) but I’ll put it down to experience and learn from it.
What’s more, it should benefit the 28-year-old when he returns to playing the Irish PGA circuit, where he has featured so prominently this season, most notably finishing runner-up behind Paul McGinley in the Smurfit Irish Championship at Westport in April.
Darren Clarke quickly erased the bad memories of yesterday’s 76 by adjusting his swing midway through the round to play his last 10 holes in six-under for a final round 67, which left him with a one-under 287.
"Something clicked into place at the ninth. I was standing too far away from the ball and fishing for it a bit," explained Clarke, who then made the necessary adjustments. "I stood two inches closer to the ball and flushed it to be six-under for the last 10 holes."
"I was very disappointed last night, I wanted to try to give myself a decent chance to defend, what happened yesterday was very disappointing not what I was hoping for."
At the business end of the leaderboard Padraig Harrington was making hard work of his challenge to Michael Campbell’s and Paul Lawrie’s joint eight-under lead. The Dubliner dropped a shot at the first but soon picked it up again at the fourth after two-putting across the full width of the par five green. He remained two behind on six-under.