Everything has changed since Nick Faldo won the first of two Opens at Muirfield 15 years ago and Eoghan O'Connell was Ireland's bright young hope.

Tiger Woods heads a new order of highly athletic players that train harder and hit the ball further and straighter.

But for Corkman O'Connell, the dream that began at Muirfield in 1987 was little more than a fond memory this week.

As a not so raw 19 year old amateur, O'Connell qualified for the 116th Open by firing a course record 65 at North Berwick and then equalling that score in the second round to win his place in he field.

"I wasn't off until 4.20 but I was up and wide-awake at six," he recalled this week. "I missed the cut by eight shots, but what an experience."

Des Smyth also missed the weekend that year, but little did O'Connell imagine that he would one day be retired and looking after the future American ambitions of the Drogheda man.

Smyth was just a shot off the lead in his 22nd Open at the start of play yesterday and O'Connell expects him to hit the ground running when he heads for the US Seniors tour.

A wrist injury and poor form put paid to O'Connell's career just a decade after that memorable Muirfield debut.

Now 34, O'Connell is setting up the American division of Chubby Chandler's ISM sports management company and focussing on getting invitations for Smyth and Eamonn Darcy to Senior Tour events.

"They both played Ryder Cup and Des doing well this week helps and I think both of them will do very, very, well because I don't think there is anybody playing as good as the two of them at their age," he said.

Based in Florida since 1998, O'Connell has been well connected in the US since he attended Arnold Palmer's alma mater, Wake Forest University, in late 1980s.

He was a member of the winning Eisenhower Trophy team in 1988 and then remained unbeaten the following summer - halving his match with Phil Mickelson- as Great Britain and Ireland won the Walker Cup on US soil for the first time.

He turned pro and played on the European Tour from 1990 to 1997, winning the Swedish matchplay title in his first season and recording his share of high finishes as he learnt his trade in the early years before it all started to go wrong.

Over practice, a habit of cupping his wrist and simple neglect eventually took its toll on his wrist and a promising career was over before it had begun.

"My wrist probably kept getting weaker and weaker. I had tendinitis and there was some soft tissue damage too" he admitted. "It started to bother me when I was about 21 or 22 and then in my last year I had to take a few weeks off and I didn't look after it.

"Then I lost my card and went to the Tour school, had to take cortisone and I was kind of a mess. I wasn't setting the world on fire anyway or playing near as well as I wanted to but that was the end."

He looks at he floor when he tells you this and you can tell it still hurts.

"In the first couple of years on tour I felt really part of it and played in final groups with Ian Woosnam and Seve when they won. I had quite a few chances. I didn't feel that I shouldn't be there and considered it part of getting to the next level.

"I suppose my only regret is that probably should have worked harder at keeping my arms a lot stronger. I should have taken care of my wrist. I should have hit fewer balls and done more exercise."

O'Connell moved back to America - his wife is from Florida - and after giving up the game for good in 1990 he worked selling reconditioned golf balls and then organised golf tours worldwide through his company, Global Golf Links Inc.

Ironically for a man who didn't take the right options when he was a player, O'Connell's job now is to help players do things the right way.

"As the tour gets bigger on both sides of the Atlantic the players have to mange their time better. It's become a big business and our job is to make their life as easy as possible and get all the business done," he explained.

But doesn't he miss the days when he was on the other side of the ropes?

"You better believe it."

We do, Eoghan. We do.

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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