One of the great gentlemen of Irish golf, Rupert de Lacy Staunton, passed away on Sunday.

A former Irish team captain and Walker Cup selector, he was a member of the Irish team that won Ireland’s first European Amateur Team Championship title at Royal St George’s in 1965.

Capped 18 times, he won the South of Ireland in 1965 and 1972 and was runner-up to Robert Pollin in the Irish Close at County Sligo in 1973.

"Young Castlerea farmer tops list of 64" ran the headline above Paul McWeeney’s report in The Irish Times on the qualifying for the 1965 Irish Close at Rosses Point.

The "tall and slender built” 22-year-old must surely have a chance of making the Irish team for the inaugural European Amateur Team Championship at Sandwich that year, having impressed on his debut for Ireland the previous autumn.

And so it proved, as the Roscommon man made history at Royal St George’s the following June as Ireland claimed the title.

Two South of Ireland crowns were to follow at his beloved Lahinch, where the Walker Cup will be held for the first time in September.

He was a familiar figure at the South every year, walking the fairways during last year’s final with his friend and 1965 Irish team mate, Vincent Nevin.

He was also a regular visitor to Rosses Point for the West and to Baltray, where he loved to chat with old pals, Mark Gannon and Declan Branigan, during the East.

In 2017, as part of Lahinch’s 125th anniversary celebrations, we sat down at the west Clare club to reminisce about a wonderful life in golf for the Irish Independent.

May he rest in peace.

A Quick 18 with Rupert de Lacy Staunton

Club: Castlerea, Co. Roscommon.

He first hit the headlines in 1965 when winning the first of his two South of Ireland titles as well as leading the qualifiers for that year's Irish Close.

"Young Castlerea farmer tops list of 64," ran the headline on the "tall and slender built” 22-year-old.

Earlier this week, Rupert, as he is fondly known to all, played what this former Irish captain and Walker Cup selector believes may well have been his final game at Lahinch during the Legends Day for former champions to celebrate the club's 125th anniversary. It was an emotional occasion.

1 How did you get started in the game?

I remember very well. I had a row with an uncle of mine who was head of the Jesuit Order in Ireland. I was working with an aunt of mine, and he decided he'd give me a lecture one time on a fair day's work for a fair day's pay. It was 60 years ago, and I was paid five shillings for a day's work, which I didn't reckon was a fair day's pay. And I didn't want to be lectured by him, so I was returning to my aunt's estate, and the golf course was right beside it, and I thought, they can stick their five shillings, and I hopped across the wall into Castlerea Golf Club and started to play golf.

2 When did you realise you wanted to be a golfer?

It was coming to Lahinch. My father loved Lahinch, and if I were never any good at golf, I'd still have loved to come here and would always have wanted to come back.

3 Why do you say that?

It's the friendliness of the people, the beauty of the locality, the charm of the village. But luckily enough, I could play the game, and I went on to win the South of Ireland.

4 How clearly do you remember beating Greg Young in those two finals in 1965 and 1972?

Very clearly. Greg lost five finals and I beat him in his first and last finals. The first was special, and I won on the 15th.

5 The second is remembered for the Angelus bell sounding as you stood over your putt on the 18th.

Yes, but I didn't really want to win that time. I had won the South of Ireland. Greg had not won the South of Ireland. There were bonfires on the hill, ready to be lit, and had Greg won, Lahinch would never have seen anything like it. It would have been the greatest night of my life if Greg had beaten me. Lahinch would have been ablaze.

6 How did it happen?

We were all flat, and Greg had putted up stone dead for his four and I had a 12-foot putt from the back of the green to take the match to the 19th. I said to my caddie, Joe, 'If you ever feel like praying, you can start praying now.' So the Angelus sounded, and then I holed the putt.

7 Did you win on the 19th?

No. I was 10 feet away in two, and Greg had hooked his second way left onto the second tee. Our Lord couldn't get down in two from where he was. And I three-putted for a half. As we walked towards the third, I said, 'Greg, I am not going another tie hole. If you don't get down in two, I will.' And I did. But I would have loved to see him win. He was one of the greatest gentlemen I ever met; a great sportsman and very good to me. I say a prayer for him every night.

8 Who was your toughest opponent?

JB (Carr) was the hardest of all. When JB stood on the first tee, you knew he was two up and he knew he was two up. He said to me one time in Sligo as we shook hands walking to the first tee, 'I can't recall your name. I should remember it.' He knew damned well who I was and as we were walking up the first, George Soden said to me, 'That was the best bustle I've ever heard.'

9 Did it affect you?

Well, walking down the third, I was on the road, and while you could drop off it in club competitions, I knew I couldn't get a drop in the West. 'Mr Carr,' I shouted across to him. 'Can I drop off the road?' And JB replied, 'Listen, young man, there'll be no more of this bustle. I'm JB to my friends.' I knew I could give as good as I got, but he got me on the 17th in the end. He was hard to beat. He knew he was better.

10 If I gave you a mulligan in your career, is there a shot you'd like to hit again?

I'd have liked to have cleared the back of the 18th in the Irish Close final against Robert Pollin in 1973. I played first to 10 or 15 feet and someone said to move the crowd behind the green. I thought, I can't have them move for Robert when they weren't moved for me.

11 What happened?

Robert hit this horrible shot that would have gone out of bounds had it not hit the crowd and stopped on the back. And he then holed out for a three, and I missed and lost!

12 You never won the Close?

I never did. Robert would have finished where the car park is now. But that's golf.

13 Name your favourite hole in Ireland?

The old, par-three third at Lahinch. It was a lovely hole - a six or seven iron with the wind coming off the sea. It was sad to see them lose that, but they gained two great holes as well.

14 Who made it all possible for you?

My parents, particularly my father, Maurice, who was a solicitor. And that's one of my great regrets in the game. I never thanked him. It hit me hard one time in Portrush when Garth McGimpsey won the North, and his father, Hal, was sitting there at the presentation. Garth was the sun, moon and stars for Hal, and he never thanked him. And then it hit me, I never thanked my father either.

15 Do you recall any special shots?

I hit one out of a divot on the old seventh here at Lahinch against Hugh McKeown. It just danced around the hole. I can still see it. You never forget those.

16 Driver or putter?

The putter. I putted much better than I drove the ball. Out of ten, my putting was eight, my driving was a six.

17 What's your most treasured possession?

The South of Ireland. Winning here meant more to me than anything.

18 If you had just one more round to play, would it be at Lahinch?

I said here two years ago that I hoped my last round would be at Lahinch. I think I played that round today. I don't think I'll play again.