Conference 7.286::golf

     Thanks Louis. Keep us informed. Someday I'm going to come to dear old 
    Irland nad play a round of golf or two. I can almost smell it. I'm sure
    I can feel it.
    
    Pete

	First day leaders:
	 
                
    	At - 4          Montgomerie  (Scotland)
	        	Faldo        (England) 

	
    	At - 3          Mackenzie    (England)
                	Mason            "
                	Stewart      (  US   )
                	Saavendra    (Argentina) 
                	Clayton      (England)
                	Parry        (Australia)
                	Davis        (England)
                	Brand        (Scotland)

	Other big names:

			Olazabal         - 1
			Calcavecchia 	 + 2
			Walton (best of the Irish) + 2
			Langer           + 3

	Darcy has had to withdraw after his round - problem with the
	ol' back.

	Faldo had two eagles and a birdie on the three par 5's.

	Faldo/Stewart were out early in the day. The weather was
	good. Later on the winds and the rains came in off the lake
	and the scores in general dropped.

	The setting looked super on the TV. The Lakes of Killarney 
	on one side of the course and the Macgillycuddy Reeks (mountains !)
	on the other. A deer was picked out by the cameraman stepping
	between the rhododendron bushes (probably an employee of the Irish
	Tourist Board)

	The other big (!) golfing event this week-end is the Digital Galway
	Golf Society Captain's (John Melody) Prize to Birr G.C. on Saturday.
	There are 63 players on the time-sheet. It should be a good day.


	Louis

    Louis, thank you very much for posting the results of the first round.
    I would very much appreciate (and I'm sure others as well), if you
    could post the final results on Monday. 
    Sounds like Faldo is running into form at the right time to defend his
    'Open'. It also sounds like a beautiful location. I hope the weather
    stays fine for the tournament, although a bit of wind wouldn't be bad.
    Do you know the course, have you ever played it ?
    
    Norman

    	Norman,
    		No, I have not played Killarney. One of my goals is
    	to head south one fine week and play Killarney, Tralee, Ballybunion
    	and Waterville....
    
    	Maybe another noter can fill us in on the finer details
    	of the Killarney course.                       
    
    	Louis

	Saturday
	--------

	Conditions were foul today! Gale force winds and heavy rain
	and the course fought back.

	Nick Faldo got the measure of the conditions and shot a two
	under par 70. He turned a three stroke deficit into a three
	stroke lead by the end of the day.

	One of the many caught by the weather was Payne Stewart, who
	even though he started well ended the day with a 77 which
	included a 42 on the back nine. The other leader Colin Montgomerie
	had a 76.

	Romero had hole in one.

	So by Sat evening it looked like this:

	213 Faldo

	216 Claydon
	    Olazabal
	    Montgomerie
 	    Nobilo

	217 Poxon
	    Stewart
          . . .

	220 Langer
	

	Sunday
	------
	Sunday was a sun drenched day in Killarney. It was warm with a light 
	breeze.
	
	Faldo could not be caught. He played very steady golf, making no
	mistakes. He shot a 70 for the day to finish three strokes clear
	of Colin Montgomerie. 
	
	Montgomerie looked like making a charge but bogies for him on 
	14 and 15 put paid to that.
	
	Frank Nobilo of New Zealand was set to share 2nd but had a 5 at the
	18th to join Carl Mason on joint 3rd.

	Ireland's David Feherty has a 65 which I think was a course record.

	Faldo's win (�61,000) will go a long way to help him qualify
	on merit for the Ryder cup. (He would be selected in any case
	as one of Gallacher's "chosed few" ) Montgomerie is doing well
	in the money list and should get in.

	The tournament was regarded as a great success even though the
	result was a foregone conclusion after Faldo's great performance
	on Saturday. It looks as if the people of Kerry gave the golfers
	and all the connections and visitors a great time.
		
	The Result: ( Level = 286)

	283 Faldo

	286 Montgomerie

	287 Mason
	    Nobilo

	288 Drummond
	    Olazabal

	289 Parry
	    Walton

	290 Fehery, Clark, Romero, Claydon

	291 O'Connor Jnr

	292 O'Malley, Davis

	293 Williams, Singh, Saavedra, Stewart, Langer

	
	PS The Digital Society Captain's Prize was won in Birr by Pat
	   Scully with 43 Stableford points off a handicap of 14!
	   

	Louis

    Louis,
    
        Thank you very much for this update. No surprise to see that
    Faldo's back to form, but I'm very happy to see Colin Montgomerie do so
    well, especially after I understand he had a disasterous start to the
    third round including a triple bogey at the third (par 3). So it seems
    he has the guts to fight back, which is a good sign for the Ryder Cup.
    Looks like he and David Feharty will both make the team. Not so sure
    about Ronan Rafferty who seems to be completely at sea at the moment.
    Not to mention Sandy Lyle (did he make the cut).
        Sunday must have been a picture with the lovely weather and the
    scenery, and some great golf. I would love to have been there. Payne
    Stewart seems to have disappeared from sight after his third round. I
    guess the strain of being in contention for 7 consecutive rounds of
    championship golf finally got to him (not surprising).
        Thanks again for these updates. It only remains to say that Pat
    Scully is a 'pirate' masquerading as a 14 handicapper, when he clearly
    should be in single figures. -)
    
    Norman