Christy O'Connor Junior is planning to ride off into the sunset at the end of this season - with Jack Nicklaus' scalp under his belt.

The 53-year-old Galwayman plans to give up life as a fulltime touring professional and concentrate on golf course design.

But O'Connor Junior wants his final full season to go down as one of his best ever.

And he badly wants a crack at winning his third Senior British Open title at Royal County Down, with close friend Jack Nicklaus in the field.

"It would be fantastic to win the Senior British Open again after everything that I've been through over the past year," he said.

"I hear that they're putting together a great field and that Jack Nicklaus could be back again this year. To win with Jack in the field would be fantastic and I hope he can make it.

"I consider him a friend. When my son Darren was killed in a car crash Jack wrote to me and he's kept in touch since then and he also wished me well after my accident."

Organisers hope to bring a galaxy of stars to this season's Senior British Open.

European Seniors Tour director Andy Stubbs has been in touch with superstars Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Arnold Palmer, Larry Nelson and Ray Floyd about the possibility of playing at the Newcastle venue from July 25 ­ 28.

Said spokesman: "Nothing has yet been confirmed but Jack Nicklaus' company has already been in touch about dates."

"The tour director approached all the players of seniors age about playing in the Senior British Open during the UBS Warburg Cup at the end of last year and we will make an announcement about the players who will take part at Royal County Down as soon as we have received confirmation."

O'Connor Jnr has been practising hard over the past few months and will return to the fairways on February 4, just 10 months after fracturing his left leg when his Harley Davidson fell on him as he was cleaning it.

The former Ryder Cup star heads for the US Next week where he intends to make his comeback ACE Group Classic in Naples, Florida in early February.

"I'll play in America with a medical exemption this season but next year it'll be a case of half and half - playing some golf and designing golf courses."

A serious candidate for the Ryder Cup captaincy at the K Club in 2006, O'Connor Jnr is desperate to win again.

"Can I still win? That's the mystery. After nearly a year without competitive golf it will be tough, very tough, to get back. Only time will tell but I'd dearly love to win again,' he said.

"I hope to play in the US Senior Open, the US Senior PGA and the Tradition. But I can't wait to get back to Royal County Down for the Senior British Open.

As two-time winner on the US Senior PGA Tour, O'Connor has been given a special medical exemption which will allow him to play in up to 24 events this season.

"I won't play in that many ­ perhaps 16 would be my limit ­ but apart form the Senior British Open I'll be playing here in Ireland in the AIB Irish Seniors Open at Adare Manor."

Course design takes up a lot of O'Connor's time these days and he expects to work on projects and China and Nigeria over the coming months.

"Architecture is an area that I love and I'll become more and more involved in the future.

"I still have the desire to play golf, which is important. So I'll play full time this season and then take it slightly easier after that. It's just hard to say goodbye."

Ryder Cup

Europe has a secret weapon for the 2006 Ryder Cup at the K Club ­ the Irish fans.

That was Christy O'Connor Jnr's message to the Ryder Cup committee this week.

O'Connor wants an Irishman to captain Europe against the US when the Ryder Cup comes to the K Club in 2006 ­ preferably himself.

But with close friends Des Smyth and Eamonn Darcy also interested in the job, O'Connor feels that any Irish skipper will give the team a huge boost.

"It's up to the Ryder Cup committee but my heart tells me that they should choose an Irishman to captain a European Ryder Cup team in Ireland.

"With an Irish captain the fans would really get behind the team, the players would feel that extra warmth from the fans and I think that we would have an even better chance.

"Des and Eamonn have excellent credentials for the job because they've been on Ryder Cup teams too and have come down the stretch with the pressure on.

"Obviously I'd love to be asked to do the job because it would be a tremendous honour for my country, my family and myself.

"It's the toughest job in golf and to win the Ryder Cup on home soil would be fabulous. I feel that it would be right to have an Irish captain in Ireland and I would be delighted if they gave it to any of the Irish players because it would give the public an extra edge."

But O'Connor dismisses suggestions that he is out of touch with the European Tour's up and coming players.

"I think it's a bit early to think about who might be in the team in 2006," he said.

"The time to start looking at players would be in 2004 at the earliest. You can't even guarantee that Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington will still be on the team. We all hope so, but you can never be sure of anything in golf."

"I'm not on the main European tour but I'm still playing on a one of the biggest around and having won on both sides of the Atlantic I think I could do the job well."

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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