Watson flies in to play captain's part

By his own reckoning, it took Tom Watson "no more than a minute" to accept the invitation of becoming the millennium captain of Ballybunion GC. And he will have a clearer picture of the job specification, as it were, when he pays his annual visit to the club next week.

But the five-time British Open champion is already excited by the prospect. "Captain of Ballybunion! How about that!" he enthused. "I got the call just before Christmas and I was only too delighted to accept. I'll be over there. It's quite an honour."

Then the player who made his first visit to the club as part of his preparation for the 1981 British Open at Royal St George's, added: "I have come to love the golf course, the golf club and the people. Everything about the place." The decision to honour Watson was formalised at Ballybunion's a.g.m. on February 26th on the nomination of incoming captain Fintan Scannel. "When Fintan and myself contacted Tom to tell him the news, he had no hesitation in accepting," said the club secretary/manager, Jim McKenna.

At this stage, Watson is attempting to come to grips with a potentially daunting schedule for next season, which will include visits to Ballybunion along with competition on the US Seniors' Tour and the regular tour. "I told Jim McKenna I'd probably be over a minimum of twice, and one of those trips will certainly be before the British Open at St Andrews," he said.

Watson went on: "I may also head over there in February for the annual meeting." But what of the captain's prize? "The captain's prize could also be in there," he replied. "It could be part of the deal."

When I told him of the possibility of the club staging next year's Murphy's Irish Open, he commented: "That would be wonderful. What a place for the Irish Open! And there's always the possibility I could play in it. We'll see what happens."

Then, on being asked how much Irish he had in him, he replied with a broad smile: "I haven't found that out yet, but you could say that I'm Irish by injection."

His plans for next week may include a visit to the Old Head of Kinsale. "I understand it's a beautiful golf course and I would very much like to see it," he said.

Understandably, his main focus at the moment is on the US Seniors' Tour for which he becomes eligible on September 4th, his 50th birthday. But it is not clear when he will make his debut. "As things stand, I will have to wait until the Comfort Classic in Indianapolis on September 10th to 12th," he said.

"But I am hoping that the tour will change the rule so that it is possible to play an event in the week when I actually turn 50. My reason? Well, the Kansas City Classic happens to be taking place in my home town on September 4th to 6th. So, that would be a really nice way to start my senior career."

And how does he feel about the idea of being a rookie? "A rookie?" he repeated with a hearty laugh. "I don't feel like a rookie. But before the Senior Tour starts, I'm going to get myself in better physical shape than I'm in right now. That's my objective over the next three months."

As for the regular tour: the only certainty is that he will have to miss certain events that have become a part his golfing life since he turned professional in 1971. "I may play the Pebble Beach Pro Am and the Byron Nelson - my good friend Byron - and the Colonial," he replied. "And I may play the Memorial."

He concluded: "But it looks as if I'm going to have to subtract some from somewhere." Not least because of his commitments at Ballybunion.