South of Ireland memories abide at Sunningdale as action starts in Lahinch
Pádraig Harrington never won the South of Ireland but he can capture his second Senior major at Sunningdale this week.
South of Ireland champions Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley join former runner-up Pádraig Harrington in the ISPS HANDA Senior Open at Sunningdale tomorrow as one of their former amateur rivals relives past glories at Lahinch.
The 123rd edition of the Pierse Motor Group sponsored gets provincial classic gets underway at the Co Clare links today and Ballybunion’s Peter Sheehan still recalls how Harrington and his wife Caroline watched him beat Limerick’s Michael O’Kelly in the final when he claimed the title in 1993.
“There must have been 5,000 people there," Sheehan recalled ahead of his 40th appearance in the championship this week.
"The abiding memory was watching Padraig Harrington and his girlfriend, wife now, Caroline, strolling around watching us in the final, which is nice to see years later."
Sheehan (58) is one of a host of past champions vying for one of 64 places in Friday’s matchplay stages of an event which holds a special place in the hearts of many.
"They look after me every year, they make me feel so welcome as a past champion, and they make me feel as if I'm the winner coming back every year," said Sheehan, whose goal is to make the cut and take a few matchplay scalps.
"They look after me so well, treat you so well, and it's just a really, really special place."
Harrington lost by one hole to O’Kelly in the last 16 of Sheehan’s lone championship win, 32 years ago.
He would go on to lose in the final in 1994 and 1995 to Jody Fanagan and David Higgins respectively but he still retains the enthusiasm for the game he had back then and tees it up at Sunningdale bidding to improve in runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2023 and a fifth place behind KJ Choi at Carnoustie last year.
“I feel good,” Harrington said. “What's not to feel good about here in Sunningdale. It's beautiful. Fantastic course. The weather is very nice at the moment. Everything is to look forward to.”
Harrington missed the cut in The Open at Royal Portrush last week but left with “special” memories after hitting the opening tee shot.
“I'm in a good place to compete for sure,” he said. “Coming down here I wasn't too sure how well this course would suit me. I know it's a great course, but it can get very fiery. It's not that fiery at the moment.So right now I'm very happy.”
Clarke won the South in 1993, beating Harrington in the semi-finals and he too is looking forward to playing Sunningdale, where he was McGinley’s neighbour for many years.
“The course is wonderful,” said Clarke, who was third behind Stephen Dodd when Sunnngdale last hosted in 2021. “Not quite as fiery as it was then. Fairways are a little bit softer. Greens are a little bit softer right now.
“But if it dries out a little bit, I'm sure we'll get that little bit more fiery that I'm more used to Sunningdale playing like.”
McGinley was Harrington’s nemesis when he won the South in 1991 and it’s possible a future star emerges at Lahinch again this week.
While Amateur Championship runner-up Gavin Tiernan and 2015 winner Stuart Grehan play for Great Britain and Ireland in this week's St Andrews Trophy at Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro in Madrid, players of the calibre of former champions Caolan Rafferty and Colm Campbell, Roscommon's Thomas Higgins, Malahide's Gavin O'Neill, West of Ireland winner Dylan Holmes and East of Ireland champion David Howard will be keen to make their mark.
