McGinley will be the target man

GOLF/Irish PGA Championship: Those inclined to make the annual, bare-footed walk up Croagh Patrick, the mountain whose landscape dominates these parts, could yet be required to pass on divine inspiration to the golfers assembled in Westport for the Smurfit Irish PGA Championship, which gets under way today.

Yesterday, for those involved in the necessary nuisance of playing in the pro-am, a stiff wind blew in off Clew Bay and, at times, was so vicious that the defending champion Des Smyth joked, "if it continues like this, we could shoot millions".

Which was a slight overstatement, but it nevertheless indicated the demands the weather and a lengthened course will provide for those seeking to dethrone championship specialist Smyth from a title he won for a sixth time last October.

Unfortunately, the move from its traditional October date to April, which is relatively early in the season, has backfired a little with the withdrawals of Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke - two past winners - from the championship due to injury. So only Smyth and Paul McGinley of Ireland's regular European Tour players are in the field.

McGinley may not be too familiar with the course, given that his only recollection is of caddying for his father Mick in the Irish Close in 1977. The Dubliner has come a long way since then, and, currently ranked 38th in the world, he is by far the class player in a championship that has a prize fund of €137,000.

Indeed, an indication of how the local bookmakers view things is that McGinley is priced at 5 to 6, a hot favourite if ever there was one.

He also comes into the championship in really good form, having secured a top-20 finish in his debut US Masters at Augusta and, then, taking four points from a possible five on the winning Britain and Ireland team in the Seve Trophy at Druids Glen.

They were two demanding weeks, however, and it remains to be seen if they have taken anything out of the player, either physically or mentally.

And, yet, the difficulty of winning the Irish PGA should never be underestimated. In the past 10 years, no fewer than eight different players have taken the title, and no one has successfully defended the championship since Smyth managed to do so in 1986.

On this occasion, Smyth comes into the event with relatively few tournaments under his belt. In fact, his last outing was in the Portuguese Open which was reduced to 36 holes because of the weather.

"It's early in the season, and I haven't found much form yet," admitted Smyth, although he has made three out of four cuts in his events on the European circuit.

The Irish PGA, though, is the start of an intensive run that will see him play for seven consecutive weeks. "I think the wind will determine a lot of things this week," remarked Smyth.

In yesterday's pro-am, in fact, the balls were oscillating on quite a number of the more exposed greens overlooking Clew Bay.

But Smyth, ever the competitor, added: "I'll be trying as hard as anyone. I am not quite sure of my game, but I will be trying my heart out as I always do."

While McGinley is the undoubted favourite, and Smyth's competitive instincts mean he will make a stout defence of his crown, there are quite a number of other players with tour experiences in the field.

Eamonn Darcy passed up a chance to play in the Spanish Open to compete, while Philip Walton, Francis Howley, Damien McGrane, Damian Mooney, Raymie Burns, who has overcome the wrist injury that prevented him from playing in last year's European Tour school, and Stephen Hamill are all capable of making stern challenges.

Neil Manchip's win in 1999 will also be fresh enough in the minds of many to serve as inspiration to the club professionals in the field that anything is possible.

The course - measuring 7,072 yards with a par 73 - is playing long, and tough, which really should suit McGinley. And, if he required any further omens, then the result of the pro-am should have helped.

A team from The K Club, where McGinley is the touring professional, won first prize. Playing with Wayne O'Callaghan, the all-women team of Mary Merrins, Sharon O'Brien - daughter of Michael Smurfit - and Karena O'Connor amassed 94 points, to win by nine clear points.

That's the sort of margin McGinley can only dream about.

Golf Masters on page 25

WESTPORT TEE-TIMES: Today and tomorrow

First Tee (today) and

10th Tee (tomorrow)

8.0 & 12.0 - J Bolger (Kilkenny), A Manson (Lisbunr), P Gray (Holywood). 8.10 & 12.10 - N Callan (C of Derry), N Howley (Black Bush), T Judd (Forrest L). 8.20 & 12.20 - S Moore (Dun Laoghaire), G Roche (Curragh), E Tracey (Enniscrone). 8.30 & 12.30 - D Hayes (Dungarvan), G Chambers (Killymoon), P Hanna (Fortwilliam). 8.40 & 12.40 - A Moran (Westport), M Collins (Charleville), D McQuillan (Co Sligo). 8.50 & 12.50 - G Madden (Galway GC), Z Rouiller (Spawell), D O'Sullivan (St Margaret's).

9.0 & 1.0 - I Kerr (Carlow DR), H O'Neill (Connemara), P Jones (Coollattin). 9.10 & 1.10 - P McGuirk (Co Louth), P Leonard (Fintona), J Kinsella (Skerries).

12.0 & 8.0 - N Finnerty (Wicklow), K Morris (Fota Is), P Farrell (Ardglass). 12.10 & 8.10 - D Mooney (Laganview), E O'Flanagan (Heath), C Barry (Donabate). 12.20 & 8.20 - G Bleakley (Balmoral), A Melia (Westport), D McSweeney (Limerick Co).

12.30 & 8.30 - G Loughrey (Knockbracken), D McArdle (Tullamore), W O'Callaghan (Fernhill). 12.40 & 8.40 - G Fairweather (Knock), T Higgins (Mt Juliet), JP Dolan (Charleville). 12.50 & 8.50 - D Walker (Foxrock), E Darcy (Druid's Glen), E Doyle (Heath).

1.0 & 9.0 - D Howley (Ballyliffin), D Smyth (Unattached), M Allan (Leopardstown). 1.10 & 9.10 - R O'Dell (Village Green), L Walker (Dundalk), N Manchip (R Dublin). 1.20 & 9.20 - E Jones (K Club), M Murphy (Retired), H Jackson (Donabate).

10th Tee (today) and

First Tee (tomorrow)

8.0 & 12.0 - K Foy (Foxrock), C Farr (Whitehead), J Murray (Elm Green). 8.10 & 12.10 - F Murphy (Rosslare), S Hoey (Ardee), BT Kelleher (Fota Is). 8.20 & 12.20 - B Kerley (Nuremore), J O'Sullivan (Galway GR), J Sugrue (Kinsale). 8.30 & 12.30 - M Kavanagh (Stackstown), P Hickey (Cork), D Carroll (Seapoint). 8.40 & 12.40 - K Padayachee (Ashbourne), J Parsons (Blackwood), B Kelleher (Ballybunion). 8.50 & 12.50 - G Burke (Curragh), D Kearney (Galway GC), V Teague (Moyola Pk).

9.0 & 1.0 - J Heggarty (Spawell), D Kiely (Tramore), J Kelly (Ward). 9.10 & 1.10 - J Greenaway (Portadown), C McCormick (R Dublin), R Symes (R Belfast).

12.0 & 8.0 - D McGrane (Wexford), F Dwyer (Celbridge), G McNeill (R Portrush). 12.10 & 8.10 - G Drew (Donaghadee), R Whitford (Knock), D Cunningham (Bearna). 12.20 & 8.20 - J Langan (Milltown), D Ryan (Cork), E Logue (Hilton). 12.30 & 8.30 - S O'Grady (Black Bush), L Bowler (Wexford), L McCool (S Russell). 12.40 & 8.40 - P Russell (Allen Pk), L Robinson (Donegal), B McGovern (Headfort). 12.50 & 8.50 - B McDaid (Rathsallagh), S Thornton (RCD), R Hutton (Downpatrick).

1.0 & 9.0 - M Bannon (Bangor), P Walton (Westpoint F Centre), R Burns (Newlands). 1.10 & 9.10 - J Dwyer (Ashbourne), L Owens (R Dublin), J Dignam (Slade Valley). 1.20 & 9.20 - P McGinley (K Club), S Hamill (Lisburn), M Sludds (Enniscorthy).