Never has a patch of British land been so occupied by the Irish than the second hole at Royal Birkdale during a practice round ahead of the 154th Open Championship.
Royal Birkdale is the perfect mix of green and brown, the fairways bounce like centre court at Wimbledon and the fescue is picture of sandy rust. At a previous Open edition at Hoylake, ashtrays were handed out to stop people putting out cigarette buts on the turf and risking setting the links ablaze. That may be required before the week is out here.
It’s Monday at The Open but that doesn’t mean that the stakes aren’t high. The conditions mean it’s ground hurling required so no better time for Offaly to face Cork in a money match.
Pádraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, Stuart Grehan and David Howard stroll on to the first tee. Open practice rounds are a regular occurrence for the first two, but for Grehan and Howard this is a first and what a first. What differing journeys both have been on to get to this point. Both inspiration in their own right.
Harrington calls for old vs young, but Lowry backed by compatriot Grehan, wants Offaly vs Cork – Howard is from Cork while Harrington’s father played GAA for the Rebels. The balls are tossed and for once, Paddy doesn’t get his way. Offaly are a point up before a ball is hit in anger.
Howard’s preparation for the Open has been by playing three days of Interprovincial matches for Munster and then Barton Shield on Saturday for Fota Island. His Birkdale IQ comes from YouTube flyover videos and playing on a simulator. Funnily, he ripped a drive off the first to the exact point he struck on the simulator. A nerve settler in front of a decent crowd for a Monday.
It’s Cork who draw first blood in this nine hole money game. But as we know, Cork hurlers are flakey and just as it looked like Harrington and Howard would go 2UP after as many holes, Grehan steals the 2nd.
Grehan has been drawn with Cameron Smith and Keith Mitchell on days one and two of the Open Championship but before the draw was made he was already acquainted with the the man they call Cashmere Keith when he strolled onto the 4th tee for a quick look. The man knows good hurling.
On the 5th, it’s Lowry’s turn to strike a blow for the Faithful team when his tee shot to the drivable par-4 rattles the flag, with Mitchell already ahead on the green signalling his approval. Offaly 1UP.
When the holes are completed in the match the players drop a few balls on and around the greens and put on a chipping exhibition. Harrington runs in 7-irons from the burnt out fescue to kick in distance. His ball striking was off but his short game looks as sharp as ever.
Lowry birdies the par-3 7th to put Offaly 2UP with two to play as team Rory McIlroy in Harry Diamond, Brad Faxon and Michael Bannon take in the last two holes on their scouting mission. No sign of messer McIlroy, his on course prep begins on Tuesday after a two-hour range session.
In the end, it’s Offaly who take the acclaim with a 2&1 win but these money games are major stakes and Harrington and Lowry wager double or quits going up the last. It’s the men from the midlands who hold on. Grehan, a 33-year-old amateur, won’t earn a penny from his championship result but he will make sure he gets the few notes he is due before the week is out.
Could he be the only amateur to leave with a profit and silverware to some degree? Perhaps, the Amateur champion and ex-pro feels right at home in his arena.
The Irish look at home in Birkdale. Harrington a champion golfer here in 2008 while Lowry and McIlroy – the Masters champion – have Claret Jugs in their locker while Grehan and Howard can’t be ruled out of a fairytale silver medal which could open all sorts of doors for their careers.
We’ve had success here before. Hopefully on Sunday our day will come again.
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