Rhodes ahead but O'Connor clan walk tall

After a crushing doublebogey, Craig Defoy graciously conceded that the 18th at Mount Juliet was still "a super finishing hole." And from topping the leaderboard in the first round of the AIB £200,000 Irish Senior Open yesterday, he went tumbling into the group on 68, which included Christy O'Connor Jnr.

Meanwhile, the overall lead was captured by England's Jim Rhodes, who covered the closing six holes in four-under-par on the way to a sparkling 67. His decisive blow came on the 494-yard 17th which he reduced to a two-putt birdie with a glorious four-iron second shot from 199 yards.

But even when others surged into contention, the O'Connor clan retained their significant impact on the proceedings overall.

Hot on Junior's heels came Christy Snr, with birdies on his last two holes for an admirable round of 73. "Is it easier to beat your age as you get older?," ribbed his good friend and former amateur international, Noel Fogarty. The reply from the 74-year-old was inaudible.

When Himself complained that he putted "like Mickey Finn", we felt we knew what he meant. In fact he three-putted on three occasions, but the old skills were wonderfully evident at the 549-yard eighth, his 17th. Here, the driver came out for a second time for a beautifully-struck fairway shot and after nipping a sand wedge third to 10 feet, he found the target with the downhill putt.

He then birdied the ninth, his last, this time holing from 15 feet after a five-iron approach where some of the newcomers to senior ranks were hitting three clubs less. "I can't hit it as far as these young fellas any more," he admitted. Which came as something of a relief to us mortals.

As a fellow clansman, though not related, Arnold O'Connor was strongly placed at three under par when he birdied the short 14th. But the demanding finishing holes took their toll as he found greenside bunkers at both the 16th and 18th for bogeys.

Given the quality of the course, it was a surprise to find last weekend's winner, Tommy Horton, slip to a 76 which included a double-bogey six at the treacherous fourth. Indeed this hole, which is dreaded by handicap golfers, inflicted considerable grief on their more gifted brethren.

It became a pointer to what was arguably the most impressive Irish performance of the day. Eddie Polland pulled his drive into trees there to lose his ball and he later three-putted for a miserable, triple-bogey seven. He had birdied the first and second and it was greatly to his credit that he recovered to hit some splendid irons shots and putt beautifully in carding further birdies at the eighth, ninth, 13th and 17th.

As it happened, Rhodes, with five birdies and an eagle, was the only player to surpass Polland's six-birdie haul. Defoy also had six birdies before coming undone at the 18th. From a pushed drive, he was in a classic position for a hook off an upslope and, unfortunately, his five-iron followed that ruinous route into the lake on the left.

By comparison, O'Connor Junior's round was quietly productive, not least for the fact that he hit 17 greens in regulation. And as a bonus, he found the 17th green in two with a superb, three-wood second shot of 228 yards which he was forced to cut under and around trees, having been too far right off the tee.

With the same finish as his uncle, he would have been the clear leader. Instead, he suffered the disappointment of missing birdie putts of seven feet at the eighth (his 17th) and six feet at the ninth.

Afterwards, he was refreshingly honest about the challenge of senior golf. "There's no point in kidding yourself - it's got to be easier when you're going into greens with two clubs less in your hand," he said. "The sort of tees we're off here and in the States are a lot different from hanging off the back edge of the back markers."

O'Connor, who has been accepted into the $1.4 million Boone Valley Classic in Missouri later this month through the help of Hale Irwin, is returning to the US next Tuesday. But he still has his sights set on several European Senior events this season, including the British Senior Open at Royal Portrush in July.

Rhodes joined the tour in January 1996 after 35 years as a club professional in South Staffordshire. But he has yet to record a victory at this level, which could explain why he commented with a smile: "If it rains and blows a storm and play is cancelled over the next two days, it wouldn't bother me at all."