Fantasy golf managers aim for overall mastery

Almost 20,000 entries have been submitted to the 1999 AIB/ Irish Times Golf Masters competition, making it the most popular such competition in the country.

By last Monday, the number of fantasy golf teams submitted had reached 9,000, but a surge of last-minute applications brought the total to 19,488 by yesterday's noon deadline.

"It is without doubt the most successful league-based fantasy game in the country at the moment and its popularity has grown in each of the last five years," said Mr Sean O'Dwyer, general manager of Phonovation Ltd, which handled the applications.

"This goes against the trend of most of these competitions, which tend to fade after the initial year or two and, at best, peak in year three. We're delighted with the response and overwhelmed by the competition's popularity," he said.

Each fantasy team is made up of seven golfers chosen from a list of more than 200, and their performances are recorded between now and September, when the Golf Masters ends.

The winning team is the one whose seven players collect the most prize money during the series. The first prize is £10,000.

Aiming for his third Worst Manager Of The Year title in a row is Rory Timlin of Salthill, Galway, whose team, the Underdogs, were by far the most miserable performers in the competition for the past two years.

It should be pointed out, though, that Rory's unique approach to golf management involves transferring in-form players out of his team.

When Greg Norman announced in February of last year that a shoulder injury would rule him out for the season, Rory transferred him in to his team.

This year Ronan Rafferty, John McHenry, Des Smyth, Eamonn Darcy, Anders Fors band, Steven Richardson and Sandy Lyle are in the Underdogs' starting line-up, but one of them could receive his marching orders after week one's European tournament, the Portuguese Open.

"Would you believe Des Smyth is leading in Portugal," Rory said yesterday. "He'll have to go if he keeps this up," adding that Smyth is an old pal of his (but friendship counts for nothing when you're trying to finish bottom of the Golf Masters).

As if Rory didn't have enough problems, he has a serious rival for his Worst Manager crown - Rory Timlin jnr (12) has entered the Junior Underdogs. Have they a chance? "Ah, they do, they're fairly poor all right."