Jimmy Martin, who died on Monday, was born on July 27th, 1924, six months before Christy O'Connor. And though he never reached the heights of his Galway rival, Martin was an outstanding tournament player, especially during the 1960s.
That was when he won what would now be recognised as three European Tour events - the Picadilly (1964), the Silentnight (1965) and the Carrolls International (1968). He also captured the Southern Ireland Professional title in 1964; the Irish Professional Championship in 1969 and the Irish Uniroyal Tournament in 1972.
Described by Peter Alliss as being "above all, an excellent putter", he was a product of Killincarrig, Co Wicklow, one of the country's greatest golfing nurseries. In fact his father was club professional at Greystones GC and Jimmy learned his craft as an assistant to Arthur Lees at Sunningdale.
His remarkable skill with the blade helped him to a European scoring record in 1961, when he carded an eagle and eight birdies during a round of 63 in the Swallow Penfold at Stoneham. In 1965, he gained Ryder Cup status, an honour of which he was always very proud. And he represented Ireland in the World Cup on five occasions, three of them with O'Connor, in 1962, 1963 and 1964.
A much-loved, self-effacing sportsman, he often bemoaned the emphasis on length in modern day golf-course architecture. And in competitive situations, he was invariably suspicious of any stories of injury or illness concerning O'Connor, whom he clearly admired greatly. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.
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