Veteran Eamonn Darcy sparked the home challenge in the Murphy's Irish Open thanks to a putting tip from an amateur caddie.

The 48 year-old from Wicklow's Druids Glen used his putter like a magic wand to fire six birdies in a faultless six under par 65 and admitted: "The putting was a big difference today and I managed to get a few in.

"I was inspired by something. Two things ­ I brought out an old set of irons out after fiddling with sets of irons for a few months and improved my putting, which has been atrocious."

Darcy transformed his game on the greens during the Christy O'Connor Pro-Am at the K Club last Monday. "A guy call Noel Flanagan from Bray was caddieing for me ­ he's a three or four handicapper himself ­ and he told me not to bother going to Fota Island with the way I was putting," said Darcy.

"He watched me hitting a putt from two and a half feet and it was the worst putt you ever saw. But he told me to move the ball back in my stance and I started to putt a lot better and I've been working on it."

The 1987 Ryder Cup hero used a brand new putter just 30 times in an immaculate round and admitted: "I hit only two bad shots out there, two five irons and duffed both of them and I was lucky to make par both times. But I hit a lot of good shots too."

Having lost his card last season Darcy is thinking of trying his hand on the US Senior Tour in two year's time.

"I just go out an play nowadays and if it happens it happens, if not I just go home and enjoy being with my new wife," he admitted. "After 30 years on tour I wasn't worried about getting invitations and I think I 've played in 10 tournaments so far. One way or another I can't lose and I really am just biding my time for another year and I would certainly think about going to America."

The lucrative US Tour could prove to be a goldmine for Darcy if he plays the way he did at Fota Island yesterday.

Starting on the back nine, the Delgany man fired a sand wedge third to just three feet and holed the putt at the long tenth to get under par straight away. A seven iron to 15 feet at the 168 yard 11th got him to two under and he never looked back.

"I made a good par at the 12th after duffing a five iron and eventually holed a 12 footer for par," he said. Out in three under par 32 thanks to a two-putt birdie from 20 feet at the 18th, Darcy produced another birdie hat-trick on his back nine. But it could have been so much better.

"I missed a chance from 12 feet at the 2nd and then hit an eight iron to 10 feet at the next to go four under," Darcy explained. After failing narrowly to get his four at the long 4th, the man with the strangest swing in Irish golf holed form six feet for birdie at the 544-yard 5th before draining a 10 footer and the short par four 6th to get to six under.

"I resurrected an old set of Ping irons from early in the season. I feel comfortable with them because I've been fiddling with clubs, looking for he magic set," said Darcy. Could we see and Irish winner this week? Darcy certainly thinks so.

"Padraig shot 67 and Darren a 70? That's all right. Maybe the pressure has made Irish players want it so badly that they are trying too hard. "It could happen his week but I'd love to have that pressure on the last day."

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© Brian Keogh 2001

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