Familiar theme to Irish trio's report cards

There was a familiar theme to the report cards of Damien McGrane, Gary Murphy and Graeme McDowell in the Smurfit European Open at the K Club this week - could have done better. It's not a criticism just a reference to the manner in which events panned out for the Irish trio.

There is little room for sentiment in professional sport, nor is there a place for maudlin reflection so the three in question won't be losing any sleep over what might have been achieved. McGrane and Murphy finished on one over for the tournament, shooting 72 and 74 respectively in yesterday's final round, the former's final 18 holes a microcosm of his four days at Straffan.

He admitted: "I had chances, could have gone places and done things. I holed nothing today, one of those things. It's better than making a mess of things, but you go out here and nothing is happening. It's a lot easier to go backwards than to go forwards and that sums up my week really. I just stayed in the same position all week. You're out there looking to hole 20 footers and that makes the difference; I'm not holing them."

Still a cheque for €83,206 moved him into the top 50 (49th) on the European Tour Order of Merit. Murphy finished on the same mark receiving the identical remuneration. He explained: "I didn't realise I was that close to the top, surprised really. I didn't look at any scoreboards all day. I had some chances but it was a good day's work."

So would he have taken a level par round beforehand given the weather conditions, a swirling wind, that prevailed. "No you're always greedy, you always want more. I think 72 is probably a fair reflection of my golf today. There are other days where I'd leave a few shots out there but that wasn't the case."

Four bogeys, four birdies highlighted a certain symmetry, the minutiae of his card revealing visits to the penal rough cost him shots while his wedge and short iron play set up the birdie opportunities. He took particular pleasure from his birdie on the par five, 16th.

"I finally birdied that hole properly, having jammed a bunker shot the last day. I hit a good drive, just in rough and to lay up so I couldn't go for it and make a fool of myself. I hit a great shot nine iron to six feet behind the hole."

His bogey-par finish was irritating not least at the last hole when a bit of mud on the ball, combined with a downhill lie undermined his ambition. He was pleased with his form heading for Loch Lomond and the Scottish Open where he'll hope to repeat the feat of grabbing the one place available to qualify for the British Open.

The European Open though has been good to him. "I hope this is a bit like the Mullingar Scratch Cup. I used to do well in that and then in my last year I won it. This is my favourite tournament. The course is fantastic. It is a massive tournament; it is our flagship event outside the (BMW) PGA Championship. It's been a very good week. I guess (I'm) just too hard on myself at times. I would have taken top 10 at the start of the week."

McDowell had a roller coaster 73 that was rescued by an eagle, par, birdie finish. "It's the end of a week where I'm not quite hitting the ball where I need to hit it. There are signs my game is there or thereabouts. But it certainly needs a bit of work before the (British) Open. I'll have to start controlling it better, flight of ball (is) not as it should be but my short game feels okay. I feel like I can make some putts so all in all it's (my game) pretty close.

"I switched my putter to a two-ball from another type of odyssey. My main problem was lining the ball up for the last weeks and this thing lines itself up."

Meanwhile, former Ryder Cup star Costantino Rocca slept through his alarm call and had to be disqualified for missing his tee-time. He did turn up though on the sixth tee to play alongside Leif Westerberg as a marker.