IT WAS ONE of those slow news days and in the absence of serious golf talk, a good romantic story would have, universal appeal. At least that seemed to be the view of David Feherty here at the Aroeira club yesterday when he outlined the latest developments in his stormy love life, on the eve of the £325,000 Portuguese Open.

The 37 year old Ulsterman, who is playing a second successive European event before returning to the US, revealed that he got engaged on February 29th, in tradition leap year manner his new girlfriend proposed to him. She is Mississippi sales executive, Anita Schneider, who was with him in Dubai last week when he shared 34th place behind Colin Montgomerie in the Desert Classic.

"I accepted the proposal but we have yet to set a date," said Feherty, whose divorce from South African wife Caroline was finalised in January. "We intend to make a decision after the British Open when the Ireland teams for the World Cup and Dunhill Cup will be finalised."

He went on to talk about ambitions to regain his US Tour card and a place on the Ryder Cup team for the match against the Americans at Valderrama in September 1997. It certainly represented quite a change in his mental attitude from December last when, greatly distressed over the impending break up of his marriage, he suggested that his golf career was at an end.

Either way, he will not be short of Irish company this week. There are, in fact, 13 Irish competitors in the field including Raymond Burns, who performed splendidly for a share of fifth place in Dubai last Sunday.

"I seem to have a bit of form at the moment and I'll be trying, hard to keep it going," he said after nine holes of practice yesterday morning. Interestingly, I found him chatting encouragingly to young compatriots, David Higgins and Francis Howley, in their hotel last night.

The course, designed 26 years ago by Frank Pennink, is close to the Atlantic coast, south of Lisbon. But it bears not the slightest resemblance to a links. It fact in meanders between towering pines which line every fairway, placing quite a premium on accuracy off the tee.

But competitors expressed disappointment at the condition of the greens which bear the scars of unusually heavy rain in recent weeks. They are softer than the organisers would wish and given the shaded nature of the terrain are unlikely to achieve the desired firmness over the next four days.

The list of Irish challengers includes something of a springer in a certain Brian O'Donovan, who got into the field through the Portuguese order of merit. I understand he hails from Youghal and is resident professional at a golf academy over here.

His status is of particular interest to John McHenry who will be one of his partners over the opening two rounds. "Remarkably this will be my first time to have an Irish partner over the first two days of a European event," said McHenry. "When I talked of Brian (O'Donovan) to Francis (Howley), he remembered competing with him at schools level."

McHenry, who has had some painful excursions to the European Tour School, is determined to boost his earnings which stand at £12,870 for 58th position in the current Order of Merit. "I need cash as much of it as I can get," he said simply. "And I, feel I can do well on this course."

The Irish line up is Ronan, Eamonn Darcy, Christy O'Connor Jnr, Des Smyth, Burns Feherty, O'Donovan, Paul McGinley, McHenry, Padraig Harrington, Howley, David Higgins and Jimmy Heggarty. The presence of O'Connor was quite a surprise, given that he contacted the tour earlier this week to officially withdraw from the event.

"I had a recurrence of problems to my left elbow," he said. So he went back to a specialist who had earlier advised him to lay off the game for a year, so as to give the injured limb a chance to heal properly. Responding to O'Connor's renowned persuasive powers, however, the specialist gave him manipulative treatment which was so effective that he immediately re-entered the tournament.

So, O'Connor, Eamonn Darcy and Des Smyth, the three most senior of the Irish challengers here, flew in last evening. This means they will be playing the course blind. "No problem," I suggested to Darcy. To which he responded with a typical grin "Certainly not unless you happen to make a double bogey at the first hole."

As it happens, the first hole at Aroeira could hardly be described as a gentle opener, given that it is a 466 yard par four, demanding a drive between those intimidating pines. "The main feeling you get is of claustrophobia," said Burns.