Irish challengers trail in wake of invaders

The Irish challengers were sucked into the wake of the international invaders and unable to excavate themselves from the predicament as the Smurfit European Open concluded at The K Club yesterday. "What can you say? I guess the round speaks for itself," said Paul McGinley, who produced a Faldoesque-like round containing 17 pars and a solitary birdie in his final round 71 for 10 under par 278. It gave him the distinction of finishing as joint leading Irishman along with Ronan Rafferty in tied14th position.

Ironically, McGinley's strong point for the previous three rounds - his putting - proved to be his Achilles heel as the anticipated charge failed to materialise. The Dubliner hit 18 greens in regulation, but his only birdie arrived at the ninth hole. Otherwise, it was a sea of black figures and a rather frustrating experience.

"It is most disappointing to get into the position of making some birdies and not to finish the job. However, there has been a big improvement in my game, generally, particularly with my iron play, so I'm leaving here with some confidence," said McGinley, who plays in Munich this week before missing next week's European Masters in Switzerland.

Rafferty, the 1989 Order of Merit winner, but without a tournament victory since the Austrian Open in 1993, could take even more solace. He produced a final round 67 (which featured a back nine of 31 strokes, the best of the day) to earn £11,980, his biggest cheque of the season.

"I haven't managed to make Dunhill or World Cup teams this year, so I intend to play all the remaining events because I get a natural fortnight break during those team events," said Rafferty, who had five birdies over the home run after reaching the turn in level par. "I had a couple of breaks," he conceded, most notably sinking a 40 footer at the 16th and, earlier, getting "a birdie out of nothing" at the 13th where he drove into the left rough.

"My game is coming around a little, but a bit too slowly for my liking," said Rafferty. "Still, I intend plugging away and this sort of round certainly gives me plenty of hope." Rafferty's birdie blitz on the homeward run featured a 14 footer at the 11th, a 20 footer at the 13th, that 40 footer at the 16th, a 15 footer at the 17th and a 10 footer at the last.

It was a day to salvage some pride for Philip Walton. His disastrous third round of 79, during which he dropped six shots in four holes towards the rain-soaked end, ruined Walton's aspirations to challenge for the title. "I woke up today with that round still haunting me and felt I had something to prove," stated Walton, who shot a final round 69 for four under par 284.

"That spell of nine bad holes in the third round proved extremely costly," admitted Walton. "I just lost my rhythm in the rain and couldn't get it back. However, I feel I can still win a tournament and that is the target I have set myself for the rest of the season."

That aspiration, though, will be put on hold for a couple of weeks, however, as Walton is not playing in this week's BMW International in Munich, resuming his schedule in Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland.

Sadly, Waterville's David Higgins failed to capitalise on making his first cut since the European Grand Prix at Slaley Hall in the first week of June. Higgins had a final round 76 for seven over par 295, putting him last of the qualifiers. His cheque for £1,275 failed to improve his placing in the Volvo Ranking, actually falling back a position to 157th, and he faces an uphill battle to retain his card with events running out.