ALMOST two years ago, a number of international golf writers' sat in the press tent at the home of golf in St Andrews, during the Alfred Dunhill Cup, and debated Europe's likely team for the following year's Ryder Cup match with the Americans at Oak Hill. All were certain of one thing at least one Irishman would be in the team.
Given Ireland's links, traditionally, with the Ryder Cup, there was perhaps a degree of sentiment - certainly from the foreign hacks - in nominating an Irishman. The name most frequently mentioned, however, as Ireland's likely contributor to Europe's cause, was a certain Darren Clarke, winner of the Belgian Open the previous season. It was not to be.
When the Ryder Cup table was finalised after the German Open on August 27th, 1995, Clarke finished in 14th place with £226,352. Instead, it was Philip Walton who claimed the last automatic place - 10th with £252,410 - who booked his ticket to upstate New York and as the history books will forever record, became Europe's hero.
So, while Clarke's win in the German Masters yesterday catapulted him into fourth place in the current Ryder Cup table, the 28 year old Ulsterman won't be putting the cart before the horse. The quest to make Europe's team for the defence of the trophy in Valderrama next September won't be concluded until August 31st next. There is still a lot of golf to be played. And, with additional monies won in the 1997 US Masters, US Open and US PGA Championship by European players to count, the fight is going to be harder than ever.
Yet, as Clarke acknowledged last night, "These points will be invaluable it is nice to get some on the board now before the real battle for places starts next year." He is currently in fourth place in the table with £163,613, which puts him almost half way to the expected target. Padraig Harrington is 17th in Europe's Ryder Cup listings. Nevertheless, the target is there.
Perhaps more significantly, Clarke's impressive success in Germany is set to make 1996 a particularly fruitful one for the Irish professionals: former Walker Cup player Harrington, who is chasing the Rookie of the Year award, won the Spanish Open at Club de Campo in May and Paul McGinley also secured his first European Tour win with the Austrian Open at Lischau in August.
The last occasion Ireland produced three winners on the Tour was 1989, when Ronan Rafferty actually topped the Order of Merit. Rafferty was a three time winner that season - the Italian Open, Scandinavian Open and Volvo Masters - while David Feherty won the BMW International and Christy O'Connor Jnr took the Jersey Open.
Still, it has been a great season for the Irish, with the promise of more to come hanging in the air. Clarke's win in the German Masters was augmented by a top five finish for McGinley and Harrington's ninth top 10 finish of the season. With the Dunhill Cup starting on Thursday, Ireland possess three in form campaigners who are well capable of adding to the previous successes in 1988 and 1990.
While Harrington's win at the start of the summer came as something of a surprise (albeit a pleasant one, with his performances since then emphasising his stature in the game), McGinley finally discarded the tag of the "best player not to have won on the Tour" with his Austrian triumph.
However, Clarke's inability until yesterday to add to his maiden tour win, achieved at Royal Zoute in 1993 when he outplayed no less a figure than Nick Faldo to scoop the top prize, was just as puzzling.
In some quarters, Clarke was even labelled as "an underachiever", given his enormous talent. He was a plus four handicapper and Irish amateur champion when he listened to the approaches of Andrew "Chubby" Chandler and turned professional in August 1990.
Recently, speaking to Irish Golf International magazine, Chandler remarked: "I met up with Darren, who was then in an in between situation as an amateur, the year before the Walker Cup match at Portmarnock. I told Darren if he turned pro he was sure to be a better player in a year's time."
That Clarke had only that solitary win, in the Belgian Open, rankled with his manager. Chandler continued: "I would say Darren is aware he is capable of better things. I'm certainly aware he is capable of better. Indeed, I think he has the talent to win two of the majors - the British Open and the US Masters.
"He has to improve on his course management. It's the mental side of things. It is all really wrapped up in discipline. While he works harder than anyone I know at his game, he needs more discipline on the course . . . he is too aggressive at times."
The return to the winner's enclosure arrived, fittingly, on Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe day, and the cheque for £108,000 yesterday brings his career earnings since turning professional six years ago to £1,320,756 on the European Tour, moving him up to 37th place in the Tour's all time money list. Ironically, the man just ahead of him is Walton.
One of the reasons for Clarke's success was, undoubtedly, the move to new coach Peter Cowen; but other reasons, perhaps, were the respective wins by Harrington and McGinley on the circuit already this season. There is a great spirit within the Irish contingent on the Tour - and confidence has rarely been higher. With the season yet to conclude, it is still fair to describe 1996 as a vintage year.
