O'Connor has design on victory

Irish Seniors Open: If he is as likely to have architectural blueprints in his hands these days as a golf club, Christy O'Connor jnr, who has five projects on the go in his successful course-design business, insists he remains as hungry in the quest for titles.

"If I didn't believe I could win, I wouldn't be playing. It's as simple as that," remarked the former Ryder Cup hero as he prepared to launch a bid for the AIB Irish Seniors Open at Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort.

Indeed, it's a tribute to O'Connor's continuing appeal that he has been paired with defending champion Noel Ratcliffe, of Australia, and last year's Order of Merit winner, Carl Mason, of England, in one of the marquee three-balls in today's first round of the 54-hole championship, which carries a prize fund of €330,000 with a purse of €49,500 for the winner.

O'Connor's playing schedule so far this season has been limited, partly because he has been so busy with his design work and also because he was recuperating from a shoulder operation performed last October.

"The design work is not a retirement plan," said O'Connor, adding: "The golf-course architecture is not taking over and I still believe that I can compete, and always go out to win and to play to the best of my ability."

Now 55, O'Connor, who won the Senior British Open in 1999 and 2000, has curtailed playing on the Champions Tour in America, but will take up an invitation to play in the US Seniors Open at Bellerive in St Louis next month.

He also plans to play a further eight times in Europe this season.

His reappearance on the European schedule at Adare Manor is particularly significant in that he also represents the resort, which is playing host to the Irish Seniors for a third successive year.

"I'm a little bit tournament rusty but I am actually hitting the ball well. Hopefully I can get off to a decent start, which you simply have to do in a three-round tournament. You can't afford to be too far behind after the first day. Naturally, you have to have a bit of luck and hole a few putts, but if I can do that, hopefully I can be up there."

O'Connor has decided to revert to using the belly putter for the first time since the US Seniors PGA Championship two years ago. "I actually putted not bad and can't remember why I stopped using it.

"One of the most pleasing things for me is to hear the comments of other players who are constantly telling me how good this course is and how much they love the hospitality that is afforded them. It is the best stop on tour and the course is magnificent," insisted O'Connor.

Indeed, the course is in superb shape, which was demonstrated in the pro-am by Argentina's Luis Carbonetti, who had a string of six successive birdies from the 11th hole.

Carbonetti, in fact, is in form and one of the favourites for the title. He recently beat Australian Terry Gale, who won the Italian Open and heads the Order of Merit, in a play-off for the Jamaican Open.

Resort owner Tom Kane, who has seen the number of rounds grow from just over 12,000 four years ago to the present 26,000 a year, has plans to add a second layout on the estate.

The previous two winners of the title here are also competing: Ratcliffe survived a lost ball on his penultimate hole last year on his way to winning, while Japan's Seiji Ebihara successfully defended his title in 2002.

The lone Irish winner of the title is Joe McDermott (1998), who is among an Irish contingent that includes two amateurs, Arthur Pierse and Dermot Morris.Christy O'Connor jnr: "I still believe that I can compete."