Hoylake Diary: Five-time champion Peter Thomson, a sprightly 76 years of age, was asked at Hoylake yesterday why he seemed to have the Indian sign over Christy O'Connor snr in their major duels down the years.
"He never loomed large as someone to worry about, to tell you the truth," replied the all-too-frank Aussie.
"(Bobby) Locke was the one in the 1950s you had to watch out for . . . he was the one you had to keep ahead of. Sorry about Christy, I love him dearly, but he always had the wobbles on the short game or the putting anyway, didn't he?"
While Thomson won five British Opens, the last of them at Royal Birkdale in 1965 when O'Connor finished two shots adrift in second place, a major win was to evade "Himself" throughout a long, illustrious career.
Dougherty in denial
No doubt who the local hero is this week. Nick Dougherty, playing in his first British Open, isn't convinced that you need to earn your stripes in majors before winning one.
"I think major experience is very important, but if you don't have it, then that doesn't mean you still can't win one. If things go right for you and you make a few putts at the right time, anything is possible. If I can ride on the wave of energy that the Liverpudlians will give me this week, then who knows?"
Dougherty's confidence is not reflected in his recent run of form, which has seen him miss the cut in his last five tournaments dating back to the Wales Open.
The last time he finished a tournament with a sub-par total was in the Portuguese Open in March.
Irish at The Open
Darren Clarke
1991 (Royal Birkdale) T-64th
1992 (Muirfield) MC
1993 (Royal St George's) T-39th
1994 (Turnberry) T-38th
1995 (St Andrews) T-31st
1996 (Royal Lytham) T-11th
1997 (Royal Troon) T-2nd
1998 (Royal Birkdale) MC
1999 (Carnoustie) T-30th
2000 (St Andrews) T-7th
2001 (Royal Lytham) T-3rd
2002 (Muirfield) T-37th
2003 (Royal St George's) T-59th
2004 (Royal Troon) T-11th
2005 (St Andrews) T-15th
Scoring Average: 71.32
Paul McGinley
1992 (Muirfield) MC
1993 (Royal St George's) MC
1994 (Turnberry) MC
1996 (Royal Lytham) T-14th
1997 (Royal Troon) T-66th
1998 (Royal Birkdale) MC
1999 (Carnoustie) MC
2000 (St Andrews) T-20th
2001 (Royal Lytham) T-54th
2002 (Muirfield) MC
2003 (Royal St George's) T-28th
2004 (Royal Troon) T-57th
2005 (St Andrews) T-41st
Scoring Average: 72.60
Padraig Harrington
1996 (Royal Lytham) T-18th
1997 (Royal Troon) T-5th
1998 (Royal Birkdale) MC
1999 (Carnoustie) 29th
2000 (St Andrews) T-20th
2001 (Royal Lytham) T-37th
2002 (Muirfield) T-5th
2003 (Royal St George's) T-22nd
2004 (Royal Troon) MC
Scoring Average: 71.66
Graeme McDowell
2004 (Royal Troon) MC
2005 (St Andrews) T-11th
Scoring Average: 72.33
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