Dermot Gilleece's Golfing Log

PERKS PROVES HIS WORTH BUT UPSETS THE BALANCE: With roughly the same number of players and courses and one "major" winner each, golfing honours between Ireland and New Zealand were fairly even until last weekend.

But Craig Perks upset the balance by becoming the first competitor from either country to capture the Players Championship.

Prior to that, the similarities were quite remarkable. As it happened, Ireland was first to produce a British Open winner when Fred Daly captured the title in 1947, but New Zealand responded 16 years later. That was when Bob Charles became not only the first player from his country but the first and so far the only left-hander to win a major title, through his victory at Royal Lytham.

It could be argued that Charles's triumph was somewhat fortunate, after a play-off against Phil Rodgers. In fact Jack Nicklaus has since described it as the only Open he threw away, by carding bogeys on the final three holes. As it happened, he finished third, a stroke out of the play-off while Christy O'Connor, incidentally, was sixth.

Charles has since proved his worth, however, with a total of 83 tournament wins worldwide, including five on the US regular tour, as well as the 1969 World Matchplay Championship and the 1972 John Player Classic. And he is predicting an extremely bright future for Perks.

"It's quite obvious he's got the game; you don't win in the US if you don't have it," he said this week. "It will open a lot of doors for him and he won't have any more financial worries for the rest of his life. This will be great for his game." We can easily imagine the reaction down under to events at Sawgrass. As one scribe put it: "OK, so he (Perks) resides in Lafayette, Louisiana, but when his name goes up on the scoreboard, that's NZL beside it and the Kiwi flag nearby.

"He's as Kiwi as Buzzy Bee, Marmite and worn out summer jandals. He's more NZ that Russell Crowe and a lot more polite." Before last weekend, Michael Campbell was the only New Zealander in the top-100 of the world rankings, whereas Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley have been regulars there for some time. So, how could Perks achieve the sort of American breakthrough which has so far eluded an Irish player? The answer is that because of their golfing isolation in the southern hemisphere, New Zealanders are more inclined to try their luck in the US, as Grant Waite (winner of 1993 Kemper Open) and Frank Nobilo (1997 Greensboro Classic) have done successfully in recent years. So, when Perks graduated from Louisiana University, he made America his home.

Meanwhile, how did he cope, en route to this weekend's Houston Open? We are told that he has four telephone lines, two at home and two on his mobile, and that he spent seven hours on Wednesday answering calls from all over the world.

"I can now see what Tiger goes through day in, day out," he said ruefully.

And the most important call? The one from Augusta National confirming his status as the final qualifier for the US Masters.

"The 1996 Masters changed my life . . . I couldn't have affected more people if I had won that tournament."

- Greg Norman, a special invitee to this year's Masters, on the dramatic collapse which saw him lose a six-stroke, 54-hole lead to Nick Faldo.

Distance has no limit

By way of following-up last week's concerns by Pat Ruddy, I offer this quote from Jack Nicklaus: "If we continue letting the ball do what it's doing, we'll soon be teeing-off downtown." And the Bear is not noted as a man of infinite jest.

With so much talk about the lengthening of Augusta National for the forthcoming Masters, it was inevitable that the equipment debate would get a fresh airing. So we have Valderrama owner, Jaime Patino, reminding us that from 1968 to 1995 the length of the average tournament professional's drive increased by one foot per year, whereas from 1995 onwards, the annual increase has been a whopping 7.2 feet.

Patino also calls our attention to the fact that while the average player swings the clubhead at 90mph for a drive of 220 yards, Tiger Woods will achieve a speed of 125mph. This causes the ball to leave the clubhead at about 183mph, sending it enormous distances. Leading women professionals such as Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb, swing the club at 103mph for a ball speed of up to 149mph.

Granted, a combination of improved implements and balls will make a substantial difference to only one player in every 5,000. So, as the Royal and Ancient have acknowledged, there is no problem for the vast majority of players. But Patino insisted: "As the showcase of the game, tournament golf should include strategy and finesse as well as power. And when it comes to the distance a ball can be struck, there has to be a limit."

The rarest of birds

All sorts of clubs, from wedges to woods, have been used for holing in one. But tradition would suggest that to make an albatross truly memorable, this rarest of birds must be bagged with a four wood. After all, this was the club which Gene Sarazen used when he hit what remains the most famous shot in a major championship, for an albatross two at Augusta National's long 15th in the 1935 US Masters.

Naturally, they greatly respect tradition out Portmarnock way. So it was that when five-handicapper Jamie Myerscough completed the splendid deed last weekend, the implement he employed was his trusty four wood. It came at the long sixth, which measures a formidable 583 yards off the medal tee.

The word "completed" is used in this instance for the simple reason that it was a two-man effort. Myerscough was partnering Aengus McAllister in qualifying for the Fitzsimons/Sheehan Foursomes tournament, which they duly led with 35 Stableford points. "I have never known another albatross in my 53 years as a member here," said Vincent Nolan, who joined Portmarnock in 1949. In an eclectic round of 41, the best Harry Bradshaw had managed at the sixth was an eagle three.

Golfing honesty

In the Seven Ages of a Golfer, as listed by Peter Alliss, I was drawn with uncharacteristic honesty to number six, which concerns those aged between 51 and 65. It didn't brighten my day. "Golf not too good," it started with cruel accuracy, before continuing: "The large gin and mixers are taking their toll. Any drive over 175 yards is considered a gem. Any par four reached in two brings tears to the eyes. All the ladies at the golf club know your ploys and will have nothing to do with you.

Even that spectacularly statuesque barmaid has left to get married, while the woman you had hoped to settle down with turned out to be as much a soldier of fortune as you. Clubs need regripping. Gin has gone up again. You have a touch of piles and dandruff and a terrible twitch on the greens." I refused to read on.

This day in golf history . . . On March 30th, 1920, Julius Boros was born. Though he won the US Open in 1952 and 1963, he is probably better remembered as winner of the USPGA Championship in 1968 when, as a 48-year-old, he became the oldest player to capture a "major" title. Nine years later, he was beaten by Christy O'Connor Snr in a 36-hole match for the World Seniors' crown at Portsmouth, Virginia.

This clash was memorable for the fact that O'Connor rejected his opponent's plea to be allowed use a buggy, because of a back problem. "He didn't show any signs of the ailment during our match," said the Galwayman, who crushed Boros 6 and 5 to claim an award of $4,000 .

Teaser: In a singles match, A's ball is lying close to B's. It is B's turn to play. Although B has the right under Rule 22 to require A to mark and lift his ball, he fails to do so. In making a stroke at his ball, B causes A's ball to move. What is the procedure?

Answer: B incurs a penalty of one stroke under Rule 18-3b for moving A's ball and A must replace his ball. If A's lie has been altered, Rule 20-3b (Lie of ball to be played or replaced altered) applies.