"HELP! They never told me it would be this difficult." Philip Walton was attempting to put a brave face on a humbling finale to his first US Open challenge in which he carded a closing 77 at Oakland Hills yesterday. The current Ryder Cup representative completed a 17 over par aggregate of 297 - without playing badly.

"I was warned about US Open courses but this one was a real bitch - the toughest course I've ever played," he said. "It really began to try my patience." He went on: "Given the undulations on the greens, I think the organisers have over stepped the mark in making them so fast. There's going to be some four putting out there, particularly on the 14th. Quite frankly, I'm glad it's over.

In an attempt at placing the challenge into some sort of perspective for a club golfer, I asked him to try and relate it to the amateur game. "When I'm at home, I play regularly with low handicap (two or three) amateurs and I reckon they would be doing well to shoot between 85 and 88 around here," he said. "A 10 handicapper wouldn't break 100."

Still, Walton welcomed the experience and is looking forward to returning to next year's event at The Congressional. "I hope to be better prepared," he admitted. "I realise now that I would need to have come here a week early to be properly acclimatised, but with the English Open to defend, that was out of the question.

He went on: "Looking back to Friday evening, I had got myself into a really strong position at the half way stage (two over par and four strokes off the lead). I imagined myself being right in the middle of things going into the last nine holes today.

"I'm not trying to make excuses but I was bothered over the last two rounds by a painful left shoulder. It's an old problem, something that comes at me from time to time. I received treatment for it from one of the physiotherapy guys at the English Open. I just didn't feel I could swing the club the way I wanted to. Now, all I can do is hang about and watch the other guys battling for the title.

In modern times, Ireland's representation in this event has been sparse and those who have got into it have fared very moderately: the best finish was by Ronan Rafferty, who was 63rd at Medinah in 1990. Against that background, I wondered if the lack of experience of Americans conditions was a problem.

"I don't think it's necessary for us to come out here to the Florida Swing in March," replied Walton. "We proved in the Ryder Cup last September that European golfers have the game to do well on American courses. But this heat is something else. I had the same problem in the South African events earlier this year."

Walton's challenge began to wilt on the homeward journey on Friday evening, when he complained of losing his rhythm. It knocked him from a position of level par for the championship after 27 holes to two over at the halfway stage. And problems continued to pile up in a third round of 78 on Saturday when erratic driving brought severe punishment.

Though his putting held up well.with figures of 32, 30 and 30 for each of the first three rounds, he noticed a further increase in the pace of the greens yesterday. "I had this 20 footer for a birdie on the first and when I tried to ease it down to the hole, I could hardly believe my eyes when it slipped 20 feet past," he said. Almost inevitably, it led to a three putt bogey.

All he could turn to at that, stage was professional pride. Even that wasn't sufficient, however, to save him from further punishment. though one bright light was his play of the par threes. He birdied the 194 yard second hole for a second successive day, hitting a five iron to eight feet.

He also birdied the 170 yard 13th with a six iron to six feet and was unlucky not to get another two at the 200 yard 17th where a glorious four iron finished eight feet to the right of the pin. From there, Walton was convinced the ball would break towards the back of the green: instead, it stayed stubbornly on the left and he had to settle for a par.

Then came a disappointing, double bogey six at the 18th, the most difficult hole on the course. In rough on the left off the tee, Walton hit a five wood to the right of the green from where he took two chips to get on the putting surface.

He now plans to take this week off and will be back in action next week in the French Open, which gave him his European Tour breakthrough in 1990.

"After this, the National in Paris will seem like a soft touch," he smiled.