Farewell Himself. Tribute to Christy O'Connor. 1924-2016

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

THE Irish Open will be overshadowed by the sad news of the death of Christy O'Connor at the age of 91. One of the finest golfers Ireland has ever produced, O'Connor was known the length and breadth of the Emerald Isle as "Himself", such was the high regard in which he was held.

He played in 10 Ryder Cup matches in the days when Great Britain and Ireland were routinely thrashed by the United States, but he was a respected and feared opponent in matchplay, never knowing when a cause was lost. O'Connor played in every match from 1955 until 1973. He also represented Ireland in the World Cup 15 times, winning with Harry Bradshaw in 1958, and was never more proud than when representing his people.

O'Connor recorded 63 professional wins and was a wonderful exponent of links golf - he finished in the top 10 in The Open no fewer than 10 times. The closest he came to winning was in 1965, when he finished second behind the legendary five-time champion Peter Thomson, of Australia. From 1953 until 1974 he missed the cut in The Open on just one occasion. Very few golfers from any generation can come close to matching that record.

The pity was that The Open was the only major in which he took part for he would surely have given the Americans a run for their money at the US Open. In the days when he was in his prime, it was unheard of for European golfers to cross the pond and compete in America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2jw9jX9Qxw

Born in Knocknacarra, Galway, he was the first European golfer to pocket a cheque for £1,000 when he won the Penfold tournament in 1955. His many wins included two successes in the British Masters. In 1970 he won the John Player Classic and, with it, a first prize of £25,000 at a time when the Open champion only won £5,000. He won the Irish professional championship 10 times, the final time in 1978 when he was 53.

O'Connor missed out on the lucrative Champions Tour in the United States only because it really took off when he felt he was no long sufficiently competitive to take part, but he did win several early seniors tournaments, including the World Senior Championship in 1976 and 1977. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxmeumnRAXY

He will be remembered as a giant of the game, but he will also be remembered as a gentleman. O'Connor was a man of the people, like his nephew, Christy O'Connor Jr, who died in January. He always had time for his fans and was happy to share stories with them.

Richard Hills, the Ryder Cup director, spoke for many when he said: “We have lost not only one of the greatest Ryder Cup players the game has even seen, but an incredible man. My abiding memory of Christy is phoning him with George O’Grady to break the news he’d been elected into the Hall of Fame in 2009 and he wouldn’t believe us.

“He said he’d only believe it if he saw it in writing, so I was dispatched to Royal Dublin to present him with a letter. As he read it, his face broke into a huge grin and he gave me a massive bear hug.

“The other thing that sticks out for me is how Seve [Ballesteros] used to watch him. When Seve, who as we all know was a genius of a player, first came out on tour in 1976, he would seek out Christy to watch him practise and watch his hands. Christy was built like a bull but he had incredible hands for golf.

“Christy did so much for the game and his legacy will long live on. After the tragic, sudden death of his nephew in January, golf has lost two of its greatest men. On behalf of everyone at the European Tour, our condolences go to the O’Connor family.”

While there will be some tears shed over O'Connor at the K Club, memories of this most genial of men will also bring a smile to many, many faces.